Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7JL, UK
J Cogn Neurosci. 2010 May;22(5):903-17. doi: 10.1162/jocn.2009.21224.
Face processing in the human brain recruits a widespread cortical network based mainly in the ventral and lateral temporal and occipital lobes. However, the extent to which activity within this network is driven by different face properties versus being determined by the manner in which faces are processed (as determined by task requirements) remains unclear. We combined a functional magnetic resonance adaptation paradigm with three target detection tasks, where participants had to detect a specific identity, emotional expression, or direction of gaze, while the task-irrelevant face properties varied independently. Our analysis focused on differentiating the influence of task demands and the processing of stimulus changes within the neural network underlying face processing. Results indicated that the fusiform and inferior occipital gyrus do not respond as a function of stimulus change (such as identity), but rather their activity depends on the task demands. Specifically, we hypothesize that, whether the task encourages a configural- or a featural-processing strategy determines activation. Our results for the superior temporal sulcus were even more specific in that we only found greater responses to stimulus changes that may engage featural processing. These results contribute to our understanding of the functional anatomy of face processing and provide insights into possible compensatory mechanisms in face processing.
人脸处理在人类大脑中招募了一个广泛的皮质网络，主要分布在腹侧和外侧颞叶和枕叶。然而，该网络中的活动在多大程度上是由不同的人脸属性驱动的，而不是由人脸处理的方式（由任务要求决定）决定的，这一点仍不清楚。我们结合了功能磁共振适应范式和三个目标检测任务，参与者必须在任务相关的人脸属性独立变化的情况下，检测特定的身份、情绪表达或注视方向。我们的分析重点是区分任务需求和刺激变化在人脸处理基础神经网络中的影响。结果表明，梭状回和下枕叶并不是根据刺激变化（如身份）做出反应，而是它们的活动取决于任务需求。具体来说，我们假设，任务是鼓励整体加工还是特征加工策略决定了激活。我们对颞上沟的结果甚至更具体，因为我们只发现对可能涉及特征加工的刺激变化有更大的反应。这些结果有助于我们理解人脸处理的功能解剖结构，并为人脸处理中的可能补偿机制提供了见解。
