Selectivity for the configural cues that identify the gender, ethnicity, and identity of faces in human cortex
Selectivity for the configural cues that identify the gender, ethnicity, and identity of faces in human cortex
复制标题
DOI：
10.1073/pnas.0605358104
复制
发表时间：
2006-12-19
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Fine, Ione
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ng, Minna;Ciaramitaro, Vivian M.;Fine, Ione
我们使用心理物理学和功能性MRI（fMRI）适应来研究面部种族，性别和身份识别的视觉神经线索是如何以及在哪里处理的。我们发现，对这些线索表现出选择性的皮层区域广泛分布在枕叶下皮层、梭状区和扣带回。这些区域没有与传统面部区域定位器扫描激活的区域共定位。传统的面部区域定位器扫描隔离区域定义的更强的fMRI响应一系列随机的面部图像比一系列非面部图像。因为这些扫描呈现的是随机分类的人脸图像，它们可能会在包含对人脸敏感但对人脸类型不敏感的神经元的区域内产生最强烈的反应。这些地区可能只显示出微弱的选择性适应效应。相比之下，对我们的选择性适应范式的最大反应预计将在包含更多选择性调谐神经元的区域内，这些神经元可能仅对一系列随机面孔显示稀疏的集体反应。面部处理的许多方面（例如，面孔失认症、识别和面部与特征处理）可能严重依赖于包含高比例的神经元的区域，这些神经元显示出对面部的选择性调节。
We used psychophysical and functional MRI (fMRI) adaptation to examine how and where the visual configural cues underlying identification of facial ethnicity, gender, and identity are processed. We found that the cortical regions showing selectivity to these cues are distributed widely across the inferior occipital cortex, fusiform areas, and the cingulate gyrus. These regions were not colocalized with areas activated by traditional face area localizer scans. Traditional face area localizer scans isolate regions defined by stronger fMRI responses to a random series of face images than to a series of non-face images. Because these scans present a random assortment of face images, they presumably produce the strongest responses within regions containing neurons that are face-sensitive but not highly tuned for face type. These areas might be expected to show only weak selective adaptation effects. In contrast, the largest responses to our selective adaptation paradigm would be expected within areas containing more selectively tuned neurons that might be expected to show only a sparse collective response to a series of random faces. Many aspects of face processing (e.g., prosopagnosia, recognition, and configural vs. featural processing) are likely to rely heavily on regions containing high proportions of neurons that show selective tuning for faces.