Abstract
Face recognition is an essential activity of social living, common to many primate species. Underlying processes in the brain have been investigated using various techniques and compared between species. Functional imaging studies have shown face-selective cortical regions and their degree of correspondence across species. However, the temporal dynamics of face processing, particularly processing speed, are likely different between them. Across sensory modalities activation of primary sensory cortices in macaque monkeys occurs at about 3/5 the latency of corresponding activation in humans, though this human simian difference may diminish or disappear in higher cortical regions. We recorded scalp event-related potentials (ERPs) to presentation of faces in macaques and estimated the peak latency of ERP components. Comparisons of latencies between macaques (112 ms) and humans (192 ms) suggested that the 3:5 ratio could be preserved in higher cognitive regions of face processing between those species.
Highlights
Social mammals perceive and recognize faces swiftly and automatically, an ability crucial for social living (Leopold and Rhodes, 2010)
While this study examined the effects of different face presentation conditions, they did not address the neural sources of eventrelated potential (ERP) components
As several comparative imaging studies have suggested the correspondence between the monkey superior temporal sulcus (STS) region and the human fusiform face area (FFA) (Tsao et al, 2008; Pinsk et al, 2009), we chose electrode positions for monkey scalp recordings to maximize detection of signals generated by cortical areas in the banks of the STS
Summary
Social mammals perceive and recognize faces swiftly and automatically, an ability crucial for social living (Leopold and Rhodes, 2010). While early studies identified face-responsive neurons in the superior temporal regions of monkeys (Gross et al, 1972; Perrett et al, 1982; Desimone et al, 1984), brain mechanisms of face perception are investigated under various behavioral contexts using non-invasive techniques in both monkeys and humans (Kanwisher and Yovel, 2006; Rossion, 2014). Functional MRI studies consistently found face-selective areas in the typical regions, the fusiform face area (FFA), occipital face area (OFA) and posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS; Kanwisher and Yovel, 2006; Tsao and Livingstone, 2008; Yovel and Freiwald, 2013). Sources of VPP and N170 were generally found in FFA or OFA as well (Rossion et al, 2003; Kanwisher and Yovel, 2006).
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