The right FFA is functionally connected to the dorsal visual pathway during configural face processing.

Abstract

Configural processing, the processing of the spatial relationships among the features of a face, is a vital component of face perception. If configural processing depends on spatial information, might this process involve interactions between the face-processing regions of the ventral stream and visuospatial processing regions of the dorsal stream? We explored this question in healthy adults by examining the pattern of functional connectivity between the right FFA as a seed (individually defined) and the rest of the brain in a same-different face detection task. Detection of configural relative to featural face differences led to significantly stronger functional connectivity between the right FFA and a-priori localized spatial processing regions of the dorsal stream. In contrast, detection of featural relative to configural face differences led to stronger functional connectivity between the right FFA and other face-processing regions of the ventral stream, such as the right OFA and left FFA, as well as with the insula bilaterally. Further, these connectivity patterns correlated positively with reaction time performance: participants that responded slower on configural difference trials showed stronger functional connectivity between the right FFA, the left FFA and OFA and a-priori localized spatial processing regions of the dorsal stream, particularly within the left posterior parietal cortex. Conversely, participants that responded slower on featural difference trials showed stronger functional connectivity between the right FFA and anterior regions of the right inferior temporal gyrus, left insula and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Together, the findings suggest that the right FFA interacts with spatial processing regions of the dorsal stream during configural face processing and with ventral stream face-processing regions during featural face processing. Additionally, the extent of these interactions appears to depend on task demands. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2016