title: Neurons in the human amygdala encode face identity, but not gaze direction.
abstract: The amygdala is important for face processing, and direction of eye gaze is one of the most socially salient facial signals. Recording from over 200 neurons in the amygdala of neurosurgical patients, we found robust encoding of the identity of neutral-expression faces, but not of their direction of gaze. Processing of gaze direction may rely on a predominantly cortical network rather than the amygdala.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1305-8028
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mormann
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niediek
authors.affiliation: Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tudusciuc
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.affiliation: Stereotaxy and MR-based Operative Techniques, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Coenen
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Elger
authors.affiliation: Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8053-9692
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adolphs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005145:Face / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult