Section on Functional Imaging Methods, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Cereb Cortex. 2010 Sep;20(9):2027-42. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhp272. Epub 2010 Jan 5.
Face recognition is a complex cognitive process that requires distinguishable neuronal representations of individual faces. Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies using the "fMRI-adaptation" technique have suggested the existence of face-identity representations in face-selective regions, including the fusiform face area (FFA). Here, we present face-identity adaptation findings that are not well explained in terms of face-identity representations. We performed blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI measurements, while participants viewed familiar faces that were shown repeatedly throughout the experiment. We found decreased activation for repeated faces in face-selective regions, as expected based on previous studies. However, we found similar effects in regions that are not face-selective, including the parahippocampal place area (PPA) and early visual cortex (EVC). These effects were present for exact-image (same view and lighting) as well as different-image (different view and/or lighting) repetition, but more widespread for exact-image repetition. Given the known functional properties of PPA and EVC, it appears unlikely that they contain domain-specific face-identity representations. Alternative interpretations include general attentional effects and carryover of activation from connected regions. These results remind us that fMRI stimulus-change effects can have a range of causes and do not provide conclusive evidence for a neuronal representation of the changed stimulus property.
人脸识别是一个复杂的认知过程，需要可区分的个体面孔的神经元表示。先前使用“功能磁共振成像（fMRI）适应”技术的功能磁共振成像（fMRI）研究表明，在包括梭状回面孔区（FFA）在内的面孔选择区域中存在面孔身份表示。在这里，我们提出了一些面孔身份适应发现，这些发现不能用面孔身份表示来很好地解释。我们进行了血氧水平依赖（BOLD）fMRI 测量，而参与者则观看了在整个实验中反复显示的熟悉面孔。我们发现，与以前的研究一致，在面孔选择区域中，重复的面孔会引起激活减少。但是，我们在非面孔选择区域（包括旁海马区位置区域（PPA）和早期视觉皮层（EVC））中也发现了类似的影响。这些影响在确切图像（相同的视图和照明）以及不同图像（不同的视图和/或照明）重复中都存在，但在确切图像重复中更为广泛。鉴于 PPA 和 EVC 的已知功能特性，它们似乎不太可能包含特定于域的面孔身份表示。替代解释包括一般注意力效应和来自连接区域的激活的延续。这些结果提醒我们，功能磁共振成像刺激变化效应可能有多种原因，并且不能为改变的刺激属性的神经元表示提供确凿的证据。
