title: A single glance at natural face images generate larger and qualitatively different category-selective spatio-temporal signatures than other ecologically-relevant categories in the human brain.
abstract: Although humans discriminate natural images of faces from other categories at a single glance, clarifying the neural specificity and spatio-temporal dynamics of this process without low-level visual confounds remains a challenge. We recorded high-density scalp electroencephalogram while presenting natural images of various objects at a fast periodic rate (5.88images/s). In different stimulation sequences, numerous variable exemplars of three categories associated with cortical specialization in neuroimaging - faces, body parts, or houses - appeared every five images (5.88Hz/5=1.18Hz). In these fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) sequences, common low- and high-level visual processes between these categories and other objects are captured at the 5.88Hz frequency, while high-level category-selective responses are objectively quantified at the 1.18Hz frequency and harmonics. Category-selective responses differed quantitatively and qualitatively between faces, body parts and houses. First, they were much larger (2-4 times) for faces over the whole scalp. Second, specific and reliable scalp topographical maps of category-selective responses pointed to distinct principle neural sources for faces (ventral occipito-temporal), body parts (lateral occipito-temporal) and houses (dorso-medial occipital). Category-selective EEG responses were found at multiple time-windows from 110 to 600ms post-stimulus onset. Faces elicited the most complex spatio-temporal profile with up to four selective responses, although body parts and houses also elicited selective responses more complex than previously described. These observations indicate that a single glance at natural face images inserted in a rapid stream of natural objects generates a quantitatively and qualitatively unique category-selective spatio-temporal signature in occipito-temporal cortical areas of the human brain.
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences Research Institute (IPSY), University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Corentin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences Research Institute (IPSY), University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Department of Psychology/296, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, United States.
authors.forename: Talia L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Retter
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences Research Institute (IPSY), University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Electronic address: bruno.rossion@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossion
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Body part perception; Electroencephalogram; Face perception; Occipito-temporal cortex; Scene perception; Visual perception