An earlier component of face perception detected by seeing-as-face task.
To investigate the time sequence of the neural processes underlying face perception, magnetoencephalography was performed using a seeing-as-face task, in which visual inputs were identical across two conditions, but subject perceptions differed: one being a non-specific pattern of geographical shapes, the other being a percept of a face. Subtraction between the two conditions revealed a response occurring 120 ms after stimulus onset in right occipital, approximately 50 ms earlier than previously reported response at a latency of 170 ms at the right fusiform gyrus. As our novel task completely excluded differences in low-level properties of visual stimuli between control and face conditions, these two responses were considered specific to face perception. The result supported the two-stage theory of face processing.
Kato
Yutaka
Y
Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. yutaka-k@db3.so-net.ne.jp
Muramatsu
Taro
T
Kato
Motoichiro
M
Shintani
Masuro
M
Yoshino
Fumihiro
F
Shimono
Masaki
M
Ishikawa
Tatsuya
T
D000328:Adult; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*