Discriminating emotional faces without primary visual cortices involves the right amygdala.
Destruction of the brain's primary visual areas leads to blindness of cortical origin. Here we report on a subject who, after bilateral destruction of his visual cortices and ensuing cortical blindness, could nevertheless correctly guess the type of emotional facial expression being displayed, but could not guess other types of emotional or non-emotional stimuli. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed activation of the right amygdala during the unconscious processing of emotionally expressive faces.
Pegna
Alan J
AJ
Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Penrallt Road, Gwynedd LL57 2AS, UK. alan.pegna.hcuge.ch
Khateb
Asaid
A
Lazeyras
Francois
F
Seghier
Mohamed L
ML
D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001766:Blindness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D014796:Visual Perception