Event-related potential of facial expression processing.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate spatial and temporal patterns of event-related potentials (ERP) evoked by facial expression.


METHODS
ERP was recorded in 25 healthy subjects while they performed facial recognition task. Repeated-measure one-way ANOVA was adopted to compare the subjects' responses to stimulation by 3 different expressions (positive, neutral and negative) with statistical parametric mapping (SPM).


RESULTS
Significant facial expression effects occurred separately in the left parietal and bilateral occipital regions (280-340 ms), left frontal region (400-420 ms), and right prefrontal region (480-500 ms). In 4 time periods, significant difference was observed between positive and neutral emotion wave in the right frontoparietotemporal and left prefrontal regions (60-80 ms), right occipital region (120-140 ms), left occipital region (280-320 ms), and left frontoparietal region (400-440 ms). Significant difference between negative and neutral emotion waves was observed in 5 time periods in the right occipital region (120-140 ms), central frontoparietal region (220-240 ms), central parietal region (280-300 ms), left parietal and right temporopartial regions (320-340 ms) and frontopartial occipitotemporal region (480-500 ms).


CONCLUSIONS
The spatiotemporal patterns of ERP suggest that the information processing of facial expression involves extensive brain regions dynamically.
Zhou
Hong-zhen
HZ
Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. guosq@fimmu.com
Li
Ya-jie
YJ
Zhou
Shu
S
Lu
Xue-song
XS
Luo
Yi-feng
YF
Zheng
Neng-tao
NT
Liu
Ling
L
Wang
Xiao-yan
XY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged