Focal electrical intracerebral stimulation of a face-sensitive area causes transient prosopagnosia.
Face perception is subtended by a large set of areas in the human ventral occipito-temporal cortex. However, the role of these areas and their importance for face recognition remain largely unclear. Here we report a case of transient selective impairment in face recognition (prosopagnosia) induced by focal electrical intracerebral stimulation of the right inferior occipital gyrus. This area presents with typical face-sensitivity as evidenced by functional neuroimaging right occipital face area (OFA). A face-sensitive intracerebral N170 was also recorded in this area, supporting its contribution as a source of the well-known N170 component typically recorded on the scalp. Altogether, these observations indicate that face recognition can be selectively impaired by local disruption of a single face-sensitive area of the network subtending this function, the right OFA.
Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, 29 Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tasssigny, 54000 Nancy, France. j.jonas@chu-nancy.fr
J
J
Jonas
M
M
Descoins
L
L
Koessler
S
S
Colnat-Coulbois
M
M
Sauvée
M
M
Guye
J-P
JP
Vignal
H
H
Vespignani
B
B
Rossion
L
L
Maillard
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000601:surgery; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D020238:Prosopagnosia / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*