High-resolution imaging of expertise reveals reliable object selectivity in the fusiform face area related to perceptual performance

Abstract

The fusiform face area (FFA) is a region of human cortex that responds selectively to faces, but whether it supports a more general function relevant for perceptual expertise is debated. Although both faces and objects of expertise engage many brain areas, the FFA remains the focus of the strongest modular claims and the clearest predictions about expertise. Functional MRI studies at standard-resolution (SR-fMRI) have found responses in the FFA for nonface objects of expertise, but high-resolution fMRI (HR-fMRI) in the FFA [Grill-Spector K, et al. (2006) Nat Neurosci 9:1177-1185] and neurophysiology in face patches in the monkey brain [Tsao DY, et al. (2006) Science 311:670-674] reveal no reliable selectivity for objects. It is thus possible that FFA responses to objects with SR-fMRI are a result of spatial blurring of responses from nonfaceselective areas, potentially driven by attention to objects of expertise. Using HR-fMRI in two experiments, we provide evidence of reliable responses to cars in the FFA that correlate with behavioral car expertise. Effects of expertise in the FFA for nonface objects cannot be attributed to spatial blurring beyond the scale at which modular claims have been made, and within the lateral fusiform gyrus, they are restricted to a small area (200 mm 2 on the right and 50 mm 2 on the left) centered on the peak of face selectivity. Experience with a category may be sufficient to explain the spatially clustered face selectivity observed in this region.neural selectivity | object recognition | individual differences | response reliability | ventral temporal cortex

Domain-specific reports of visual imagery vividness are not related to perceptual expertise

“…Responses on the VVIQ have been found to relate to activity in early visual cortex (Cui et al, 2007). In contrast, performance on perceptual tasks with cars relates to activity in higher-level visual areas, including the fusiform face area (McGugin, Gatenby, Gore, & Gauthier, 2012). Future work could investigate the reliability of neural signals during visual imagery of different cars in each of these areas, and the relation with the behavioral measures we collected here, as well as with objective measures of visual imagery (e.g., binocular rivalry priming; see Pearson et al, 2008).…”

Normal acquisition of expertise with greebles in two cases of acquired prosopagnosia

“…More recently, a correlation of FFA activation with behavioral expertise was shown for cars in a high-resolution functional MRI study (10). However, there is also considerable neural evidence against a common mechanism for faces and other real-world objects of expertise.…”

Facial emotion recognition in Williams syndrome and Down syndrome: A matching and developmental study

“…Face Area (FFA) is responsive to faces with areas nearby and overlapping the FFA having been found to be activated in discriminations of objects which an individual is an expert on (McGugin, Gatenby, Gore, & Gauthier, 2012) as well as by body parts (Schwarzlose, Baker, & Kanwisher, 2005). In WS the fusiform gyrus itself appears to be enlarged (Reiss et al, 2004) and also better connected with other structures (greater fractional anisotropy) compared to TD controls (Hass et al, 2012;Haas et al, 2013).…”