Inhibition of the occipital face area modulates the electrophysiological signals of face familiarity: A combined cTBS-EEG study
Inhibition of the occipital face area modulates the electrophysiological signals of face familiarity: A combined cTBS-EEG study
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cortex.2021.03.034
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发表时间：
2021-05-27
期刊：
影响因子：
3.6
通讯作者：
Kovacs，Gyula
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Eick，Charlotta M.;Ambrus，Geza G.;Kovacs，Gyula
枕部面部区域(OFA)是人脸处理网络的第一阶段之一。它最初被认为参与了早期的结构性加工步骤，但目前越来越多的研究对这一观点提出了质疑，并提出它也参与了更高层次的人脸加工，如识别和识别。在这里，我们测试了OFA是否参与了识别记忆的初始步骤，并在熟悉和陌生面孔的区分加工中发挥了因果作用。我们在右侧OFA和顶端使用离线、抑制性持续电击刺激(CTBS)方案作为对照。分别在刺激前后对视觉呈现熟悉(著名)和陌生面孔诱发的事件相关电位(ERPs)进行脑电记录。我们观察到在对应于N250成分的时间窗口中，著名面孔和不熟悉面孔的事件相关电位存在差异。重要的是，这种差异被右侧OFA的CTB显著增加，这表明它在熟悉和不熟悉面孔的区别加工中发挥了因果作用。增强发生在右半球CTBS部位附近的电极上，以及对侧大脑半球类似的枕颞部部位。据我们所知，这是第一个使用CTBS和EEG相结合的方法显示rOFA在熟悉和陌生面孔的区别处理中的因果作用的研究。这些结果是由广泛的双边网络支持的，关于熟悉的面部表征的性质进行了讨论。
The occipital face area (OFA) is hierarchically one of the first stages of the face processing network. It has originally been thought to be involved in early, structural processing steps, but currently more and more studies challenge this view and propose that it also takes part in higher level face processing, such as identification and recognition. Here we tested whether the OFA is involved in the initial steps of recognition memory and plays a causal role in the differential processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces. We used an offline, inhibitory continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) protocol over the right OFA and the vertex as control site. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recording of event-related potentials (ERPs), elicited by visually presented familiar (famous) and unfamiliar faces was performed before and after stimulation. We observed a difference in ERPs for famous and unfamiliar faces in a time-window corresponding to the N250 component. Importantly, this difference was significantly increased by cTBS of the right OFA, suggesting its causal role in the differential processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces. The enhancement occurred focally, at electrodes close to the right hemispheric cTBS site, as well as over similar occipito-temporal sites of the contralateral hemisphere. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing the causal role of the rOFA in the differential processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces, using combined cTBS and EEG recording methods. These results are discussed with respect to the nature of familiar face representations, supported by an extensive, bilateral network.