title: Spatial scaling factors explain eccentricity effects on face ERPs.
abstract: Event-related potential (ERP) studies consistently have described a strong, face-sensitive response termed the N170. This component is maximal at the fovea and decreases strongly with eccentricity, a result that could suggest a foveal bias in the cortical generators responsible for face processing. Here we demonstrate that scaling stimulus size according to V1 cortical magnification factor can virtually eliminate face-related eccentricity effects, indicating that eccentricity effects on face ERPs are largely due to low-level visual factors rather than high-level cortical specialization for foveal stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. rousseg@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Guillaume A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rousselet
authors.forename: Jesse S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Husk
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Allison B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sekuler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D010781:Photography; D011930:Reaction Time; D018401:Sample Size; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*