title: Exemplar selectivity reflects perceptual similarities in the human fusiform cortex.
abstract: While brain imaging studies emphasized the category selectivity of face-related areas, the underlying mechanisms of our remarkable ability to discriminate between different faces are less understood. Here, we recorded intracranial local field potentials from face-related areas in patients presented with images of faces and objects. A highly significant exemplar tuning within the category of faces was observed in high-Gamma (80-150 Hz) responses. The robustness of this effect was supported by single-trial decoding of face exemplars using a minimal (n = 5) training set. Importantly, exemplar tuning reflected the psychophysical distance between faces but not their low-level features. Our results reveal a neuronal substrate for the establishment of perceptual distance among faces in the human brain. They further imply that face neurons are anatomically grouped according to well-defined functional principles, such as perceptual similarity.
authors: Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Ido
authors: I
authors: Davidesco
authors: Department of Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Schizophrenia Program, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
authors: Elana
authors: E
authors: Zion-Golumbic
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Bickel
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors: Michal
authors: M
authors: Harel
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Groppe
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors: Corey J
authors: CJ
authors: Keller
authors: Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Catherine A
authors: CA
authors: Schevon
authors: Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Guy M
authors: GM
authors: McKhann
authors: Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Robert R
authors: RR
authors: Goodman
authors: Medical Biophysics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Gadi
authors: G
authors: Goelman
authors: Department of Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Schizophrenia Program, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
authors: Charles E
authors: CE
authors: Schroeder
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
authors: Ashesh D
authors: AD
authors: Mehta
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Malach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: ECoG; face perception; high-gamma; perceptual similarity