Abstract
BackgroundThe amygdala habituates in response to repeated human facial expressions; however, it is unclear whether this brain region habituates to schematic faces (i.e., simple line drawings or caricatures of faces). Using an fMRI block design, 16 healthy participants passively viewed repeated presentations of schematic and human neutral and negative facial expressions. Percent signal changes within anatomic regions-of-interest (amygdala and fusiform gyrus) were calculated to examine the temporal dynamics of neural response and any response differences based on face type.ResultsThe amygdala and fusiform gyrus had a within-run "U" response pattern of activity to facial expression blocks. The initial block within each run elicited the greatest activation (relative to baseline) and the final block elicited greater activation than the preceding block. No significant differences between schematic and human faces were detected in the amygdala or fusiform gyrus.ConclusionThe "U" pattern of response in the amygdala and fusiform gyrus to facial expressions suggests an initial orienting, habituation, and activation recovery in these regions. Furthermore, this study is the first to directly compare brain responses to schematic and human facial expressions, and the similarity in brain responses suggest that schematic faces may be useful in studying amygdala activation.
Highlights
The amygdala habituates in response to repeated human facial expressions; it is unclear whether this brain region habituates to schematic faces
A schematic face capturing the key components of a facial expression may be useful in studies of emotion because the prototype is relatively devoid of confounding characteristics
Several studies have discovered that schematic faces still retain emotional meaning [2] and schematic faces activate brain structures involved in processing human facial expressions [3], providing evidence that a simple representation of a facial expression can be used to study emotion
Summary
The amygdala habituates in response to repeated human facial expressions; it is unclear whether this brain region habituates to schematic faces (i.e., simple line drawings or caricatures of faces). An individual's facial expressions change rapidly, requiring a quick deduction of meaning. This ability to process facial expressions quickly or automatically is advantageous when the expressions predict threat (e.g., fear or anger) [1]. Several studies have discovered that schematic faces still retain emotional meaning [2] and schematic faces activate brain structures involved in processing human facial expressions (e.g., amygdala, prefrontal cortex) [3], providing evidence that a simple representation of a facial expression can be used to study emotion
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