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Holistic face categorization in higher order visual areas of the normal and prosopagnosic brain: toward a non-hierarchical view of face perception
- Source :
- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol. 4, no. 225, p. 225.1-225.30 (2011), Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Vol 4 (2011), Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 4(225):225. Frontiers Media S.A.
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- How a visual stimulus is initially categorized as a face in a network of human brain areas remains largely unclear. Hierarchical neuro-computational models of face perception assume that the visual stimulus is first decomposed in local parts in lower order visual areas. These parts would then be combined into a global representation in higher order face-sensitive areas of the occipito-temporal cortex. Here we tested this view in fMRI with visual stimuli that are categorized as faces based on their global configuration rather than their local parts (2-tones Mooney figures and Arcimboldo’s facelike paintings). Compared to the same inverted visual stimuli that are not categorized as faces, these stimuli activated the right middle fusiform gyrus (Fusiform face area, FFA) and superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), with no significant activation in the posteriorly located inferior occipital gyrus (i.e., no occipital face area, OFA). This observation is strengthened by behavioral and neural evidence for normal face categorization of these stimuli in a brain-damaged prosopagnosic patient (PS) whose intact right middle fusiform gyrus and superior temporal sulcus are devoid of any potential face-sensitive inputs from the lesioned right inferior occipital cortex. Together, these observations indicate that face-preferential activation may emerge in higher order visual areas of the right hemisphere without any face-preferential inputs from lower order visual areas, supporting a non-hierarchical view of face perception in the visual cortex.
- Subjects :
- ACQUIRED PROSOPAGNOSIA
Visual perception
Visual N1
genetic structures
OBJECT-PROCESSING STAGES
VENTRAL TEMPORAL CORTEX
lcsh:RC321-571
INDIVIDUAL FACES
Behavioral Neuroscience
Mooney
Face perception
medicine
fusiform gyrus
visual cortex
SPATIAL-RESOLUTION
lcsh:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Biological Psychiatry
Original Research
Fusiform gyrus
Cognitive neuroscience of visual object recognition
Superior temporal sulcus
Fusiform face area
FUNCTIONAL NEUROANATOMY
MONKEY INFEROTEMPORAL CORTEX
Psychiatry and Mental health
prosopagnosia
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Visual cortex
medicine.anatomical_structure
Neurology
HEMISPHERIC-SPECIALIZATION
face perception
MIDDLE FUSIFORM GYRUS
Psychology
FFA
Cognitive psychology
SELECTIVE CORTEX
Neuroscience
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16625161
- Volume :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in human neuroscience
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....142988ae3cd88c1e58e866f8be9d5d04