title: Electrophysiological evidence for separation between human face and non-face object processing only in the right hemisphere.
abstract: Scalp event-related potential (ERP) studies have demonstrated larger N170 amplitudes when subjects view faces compared to items from object categories. Extensive attempts have been made to clarify face selectivity and hemispheric dominance for face processing. The purpose of this study was to investigate hemispheric differences in N170s activated by human faces and non-face objects, as well as the extent of overlap of their sources. ERP was recorded from 20 subjects while they viewed human face and non-face images. N170s obtained during the presentation of human faces appeared earlier and with larger amplitude than for other category images. Further source analysis with a two-dipole model revealed that the locations of face and object processing largely overlapped in the left hemisphere. Conversely, the source for face processing in the right hemisphere located more anterior than the source for object processing. The results suggest that the neuronal circuits for face and object processing are largely shared in the left hemisphere, with more distinct circuits in the right hemisphere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Science and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niina
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Science and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun-ya
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Science and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Japan; Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China. Electronic address: gwang@ibe.kagoshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dipole source; ERP; Face recognition; Object recognition; Right hemispheric dominance