title: A different pattern of lateralised brain activity during processing of loved faces in men and women: a MEG study.
abstract: Viewing personally familiar and loved faces evokes a distinct pattern of brain activity as demonstrated by research employing imaging and electrophysiological methods. The aim of the current investigation was to study the perception of loved faces combined with recalling past emotional experiences using whole-head magnetoencephalograpy (MEG). Twenty-eight participants (fourteen female) viewed photographs of their romantic partner as well as of two long-term friends while imagining a positive emotional encounter with the respective person. Face-stimuli evoked a slow and sustained shift of magnetic activity from 300ms post-stimulus onwards which differentiated loved from friends' faces in female participants and left-sided sensors only. This late-latency evoked magnetic field resembled (as its magnetic counterpart) ERP-modulations by affective content and memory, most notably the late positive potential (LPP). We discuss our findings in the light of studies suggesting greater responsiveness to affective cues in women as well as sex differences in autobiographical and emotional memory.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Luisenstr. 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: hannes.tiedt@charite.de.
authors.forename: Hannes O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Tiedt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Luisenstr. 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lueschow
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Luisenstr. 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pauls
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012747:Sexual Partners; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attachment; Gender-differences; LPP; LPP-m; Late positive potential; Lateralisation; Loved faces; MEG; Magnetoencephalography; Romantic love; Sex-differences; mLPP