Morris James P, Pelphrey Kevin A, McCarthy Gregory
Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Neuropsychologia. 2007 Oct 1;45(13):3087-91. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.05.020. Epub 2007 Jun 13.
We investigated brain activity evoked by faces which were not consciously perceived by subjects. Subdural electrophysiological recordings and functional neuroimaging studies have each demonstrated face-specific processing in the fusiform gyrus (FFG) of humans. Using pattern masks, a stimulus can be presented but not consciously perceived, and thus can be used to assay obligatory or automatic processes. Here, using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging and pattern masking, we observed that masked faces but not masked objects activated the right FFG. Other regions activated by consciously perceived unmasked faces were not activated when faces were masked. These data provide strong evidence for an automatic face-processing region in the right FFG.
我们研究了未被受试者有意识感知的面孔所诱发的大脑活动。硬膜下电生理记录和功能神经影像学研究均已证明人类梭状回(FFG)中存在面孔特异性加工。使用图案掩蔽,刺激可以呈现但不会被有意识地感知,因此可用于分析强制性或自动加工过程。在此,我们使用事件相关功能磁共振成像和图案掩蔽观察到,被掩蔽的面孔而非被掩蔽的物体激活了右侧梭状回。当面孔被掩蔽时,有意识感知的未被掩蔽面孔所激活的其他区域未被激活。这些数据为右侧梭状回中存在自动面孔加工区域提供了有力证据。