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The N170 ERP component has been widely identified as a face-sensitive neural marker. Despite extensive investigations conducted to examine the neural sources of N170, there are two issues in prior literature: (a) few studies used individualized anatomy as head model for the cortical source analysis of the N170, and (b) the relationship between the N170 and face-selective regions from fMRI studies is unclear. Here, we addressed these questions by presenting pictures of faces and houses to the same group of healthy adults and recording structural MRI, fMRI, and high-density ERPs in separate sessions. Source analysis based on the participant’s anatomy showed that the middle and posterior fusiform gyri were the primary neural sources for the face-sensitive aspects of the N170. Source analysis based on regions of interest from the fMRI revealed that the fMRI-defined fusiform face area was the major contributor to the N170. The current study suggests that the fusiform gyrus is a major neural contributor to the N170 ERP component and provides further insights about the spatiotemporal characteristics of face processing.

This study does not involve any data collection; therefore, no ethics approval is needed. Consent to participate: This study does not involve any data collection; therefore, no consent to participate is needed. Consent for publication: All authors approve for this publication. Availability of data and materials:The data for the present study can be accessed at go.sc.edu/scope. Code availability: The code for the present study can be accessed at https://osf.io/9qbjz/.

Recognizing written or spoken words involves a sequence of processing stages, transforming sensory features into lexical-semantic representations. Whereas the later processing stages are common across modalities, the initial stages are modality-specific. In the visual modality, previous studies have shown that words with positive valence are recognized faster than neutral words. Here, we examined whether the effects of valence on word recognition are specific to the visual modality or are common across visual and auditory modalities. To address this question, we analyzed multiple large databases of visual and auditory lexical decision tasks, relating the valence of words to lexical decision times while controlling for a large number of variables, including arousal and frequency. We found that valence differentially influenced visual and auditory word recognition. Valence had an asymmetric effect on visual lexical decision times, primarily speeding up recognition of positive words. By contrast, valence had a symmetric effect on auditory lexical decision times, with both negative and positive words speeding up word recognition relative to neutral words. The modality-specificity of valence effects were consistent across databases and were observed when the same sets of words were compared across modalities. We interpret these findings as indicating that valence influences word recognition partly at the sensory-perceptual stage. We relate these effects to the effects of positive (reward) and negative (punishment) reinforcers on perception.

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