Neural Basis of Identity Information Extraction from Noisy Face Images

Abstract

Previous research has made significant progress in identifying the neural basis of the remarkably efficient and seemingly effortless face perception in humans. However, the neural processes that enable the extraction of facial information under challenging conditions when face images are noisy and deteriorated remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the neural processes underlying the extraction of identity information from noisy face images using fMRI. For each participant, we measured (1) face-identity discrimination performance outside the scanner, (2) visual cortical fMRI responses for intact and phase-randomized face stimuli, and (3) intrinsic functional connectivity using resting-state fMRI. Our whole-brain analysis showed that the presence of noise led to reduced and increased fMRI responses in the mid-fusiform gyrus and the lateral occipital cortex, respectively. Furthermore, the noise-induced modulation of the fMRI responses in the right face-selective fusiform face area (FFA) was closely associated with individual differences in the identity discrimination performance of noisy faces: smaller decrease of the fMRI responses was accompanied by better identity discrimination. The results also revealed that the strength of the intrinsic functional connectivity within the visual cortical network composed of bilateral FFA and bilateral object-selective lateral occipital cortex (LOC) predicted the participants' ability to discriminate the identity of noisy face images. These results imply that perception of facial identity in the case of noisy face images is subserved by neural computations within the right FFA as well as a re-entrant processing loop involving bilateral FFA and LOC.

Functional Connectivity Disruption in Neonates with Prenatal Marijuana Exposure

“…Rodent models demonstrate that PME alters striatal gene expression of the DA D2 receptor (D2R) (DiNieri et al, 2011 ). Taken together with the reportedly high striatal CB1R concentration (Glass et al, 1977 ; Herkenham et al, 1991 ; Hermann et al, 2015 ), D2R–CB1R interactions (Anderson et al, 1996 ) following repeated THC exposure are likely to disrupt developing motor control circuits and may contribute to the current finding of reduced functional connectivity between caudate and cerebellar regions. Both structures play important roles in integrating and coordinating motor and non-motor activity, language, memory, and learning.…”

“…Fusiform gyrus has been related to recognition of faces, words, and emotional content in facial expressions. Right fusiform activation, specifically, is linked to determining whether a “face-like” image is truly a face (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012 ), and to discrimination of facial identity within a complex visual presentation (Hermann et al, 2015 ). Reduced local resting state connectivity within the right fusiform is reported in adults with autism spectrum disorder (Itahashi et al, 2015 ), a disease characterized by impaired perception of facial social cues.…”

The relationship between repetition suppression and face perception

“…The activity of FFA and/or OFA has been related to the detection, recognition, or discrimination of faces (Grill-Spector et al 2000;GrillSpector et al 2004;Hermann et al 2015;Nestor et al 2008). Huang et al (2014) measured face recognition in an old/new paradigm and found that the participants' recognition ability correlated with the face selectivity of the FFA and OFA, measured by estimating the differential response of the areas for face and non-face object stimuli.…”

Temporal voice areas exist in autism spectrum disorder but are dysfunctional for voice identity recognition

“…Fourth, several studies on face recognition in ASD have also found not only supramodal brain regions impaired, but a processing impairment in the fusiform face area (FFA; e.g. Schultz et al , 2000; Pierce et al , 2001; Domes et al , 2013), a brain region that is associated with face perception and identity processing (Eger et al , 2004; von Kriegstein et al , 2008; Hermann et al , 2015; for review see Bernstein and Yovel, 2015). We therefore speculate that a dysfunctional precuneus is not the primary cause for the person recognition deficits for voices and faces in ASD.…”