title: The Deceptively Simple N170 Reflects Network Information Processing Mechanisms Involving Visual Feature Coding and Transfer Across Hemispheres.
abstract: A key to understanding visual cognition is to determine "where", "when", and "how" brain responses reflect the processing of the specific visual features that modulate categorization behavior-the "what". The N170 is the earliest Event-Related Potential (ERP) that preferentially responds to faces. Here, we demonstrate that a paradigmatic shift is necessary to interpret the N170 as the product of an information processing network that dynamically codes and transfers face features across hemispheres, rather than as a local stimulus-driven event. Reverse-correlation methods coupled with information-theoretic analyses revealed that visibility of the eyes influences face detection behavior. The N170 initially reflects coding of the behaviorally relevant eye contralateral to the sensor, followed by a causal communication of the other eye from the other hemisphere. These findings demonstrate that the deceptively simple N170 ERP hides a complex network information processing mechanism involving initial coding and subsequent cross-hemispheric transfer of visual features.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
authors.forename: Robin A A
authors.initials: RAA
authors.lastname: Ince
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaworska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neural Computation, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panzeri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: van Rijsbergen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
authors.forename: Guillaume A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rousselet
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
authors.forename: Philippe G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Schyns
keywords: EEG; face processing; information transmission; mutual information; reverse correlation