Widespread and lateralized social brain activity for processing dynamic facial expressions

Abstract

Dynamic facial expressions of emotions constitute natural and powerful means of social communication in daily life. A number of previous neuroimaging studies have explored the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of dynamic facial expressions, and indicated the activation of certain social brain regions (e.g., the amygdala) during such tasks. However, the activated brain regions were inconsistent across studies, and their laterality was rarely evaluated. To investigate these issues, we measured brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging in a relatively large sample (n = 51) during the observation of dynamic facial expressions of anger and happiness and their corresponding dynamic mosaic images. The observation of dynamic facial expressions, compared with dynamic mosaics, elicited stronger activity in the bilateral posterior cortices, including the inferior occipital gyri, fusiform gyri, and superior temporal sulci. The dynamic facial expressions also activated bilateral limbic regions, including the amygdalae and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, more strongly versus mosaics. In the same manner, activation was found in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and left cerebellum. Laterality analyses comparing original and flipped images revealed right hemispheric dominance in the superior temporal sulcus and IFG and left hemispheric dominance in the cerebellum. These results indicated that the neural mechanisms underlying processing of dynamic facial expressions include widespread social brain regions associated with perceptual, emotional, and motor functions, and include a clearly lateralized (right cortical and left cerebellar) network like that involved in language processing.

Enhanced Mirror Neuron Network Activity and Effective Connectivity during Live Interaction Among Female Subjects

“…The contrast [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with the results of a previous study using more stimulus blocks (Sato et al, 2019). Significant clusters included the bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network including the aTL, mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

“…We analyzed the functional localizer task for dynamic facial expression processing using a GLM containing two psychological regressors of interest, the "dynamic face" and "dynamic mosaic" conditions. The contrast of [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with results in a previous study using more stimulus blocks 27 . Significant clusters included bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network, such as the right anterior temporal lobe (aTL), mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

Enhanced Mirror Neuron Network Activity and Effective Connectivity during Live Interaction Among Female Subjects

“…The contrast [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with the results of a previous study using more stimulus blocks (Sato et al, 2019). Significant clusters included the bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network including the aTL, mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

“…We analyzed the functional localizer task for dynamic facial expression processing using a GLM containing two psychological regressors of interest, the "dynamic face" and "dynamic mosaic" conditions. The contrast of [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with results in a previous study using more stimulus blocks 27 . Significant clusters included bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network, such as the right anterior temporal lobe (aTL), mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

Behavioral and neural underpinnings of empathic characteristics in a Humanitude-care expert

“…Our functional MRI data showed that YG exhibited stronger MNS activity, specifically in the right PMv and STS region, in response to dynamic facial expressions than did controls. Our observed activation of the PMv and STS region in the right hemisphere is compatible with previous neuroimaging findings indicating that these regions were active during observation of dynamic facial expressions (21)(22)(23)(24) and were the functional network used during processing of such expressions (22,24). The heightened activities in the right PMv and STS and the facial mimicry of YG are also in agreement with previous findings that these regions were associated with facial EMG activity during observation of facial expressions (24,81).…”

“…Contrasts between dynamic facial expression versus dynamic mosaic observations in YG and controls ( Supplementary Figure 1 and Supplementary Tables 1 , 2 ) revealed similar brain activity to those reported in previous studies [e.g., ( 23 )]. Specifically, in both YG and controls, significant activity was detected in the right PMv and bilateral STS regions.…”

Charting Decodability of Dynamic Facial Expressions in Young and Old Adults: Similarities and Differences

“…Previous studies have suggested that OFA exhibits distinct neural processing of facial components situated at precise spatial locations, whereas FFA processes these generally but not specifically [ 6 , 82 - 84 ]. Our findings corroborate previous studies of classification and decoding of emotional stimuli and perception of facial expressions in the brain [ 64 , 85 ], as well as posterior area STS, ventral FFA and OFA [ 67 , 71 , 86 ]. The information regarding facial expressions are processed in ventral regions such as OFA and FFA, while dynamic information is processed in dorsal areas such as dlPFC, STS.…”

Enhanced Mirror Neuron Network Activity and Effective Connectivity during Live Interaction Among Female Subjects

“…The contrast [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with the results of a previous study using more stimulus blocks (Sato et al, 2019). Significant clusters included the bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network including the aTL, mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

“…We analyzed the functional localizer task for dynamic facial expression processing using a GLM containing two psychological regressors of interest, the "dynamic face" and "dynamic mosaic" conditions. The contrast of [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with results in a previous study using more stimulus blocks 27 . Significant clusters included bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network, such as the right anterior temporal lobe (aTL), mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

Behavioral and neural underpinnings of empathic characteristics in a Humanitude-care expert

“…Our functional MRI data showed that YG exhibited stronger MNS activity, specifically in the right PMv and STS region, in response to dynamic facial expressions than did controls. Our observed activation of the PMv and STS region in the right hemisphere is compatible with previous neuroimaging findings indicating that these regions were active during observation of dynamic facial expressions (21)(22)(23)(24) and were the functional network used during processing of such expressions (22,24). The heightened activities in the right PMv and STS and the facial mimicry of YG are also in agreement with previous findings that these regions were associated with facial EMG activity during observation of facial expressions (24,81).…”

“…Contrasts between dynamic facial expression versus dynamic mosaic observations in YG and controls ( Supplementary Figure 1 and Supplementary Tables 1 , 2 ) revealed similar brain activity to those reported in previous studies [e.g., ( 23 )]. Specifically, in both YG and controls, significant activity was detected in the right PMv and bilateral STS regions.…”

Charting Decodability of Dynamic Facial Expressions in Young and Old Adults: Similarities and Differences

“…Previous studies have suggested that OFA exhibits distinct neural processing of facial components situated at precise spatial locations, whereas FFA processes these generally but not specifically [ 6 , 82 - 84 ]. Our findings corroborate previous studies of classification and decoding of emotional stimuli and perception of facial expressions in the brain [ 64 , 85 ], as well as posterior area STS, ventral FFA and OFA [ 67 , 71 , 86 ]. The information regarding facial expressions are processed in ventral regions such as OFA and FFA, while dynamic information is processed in dorsal areas such as dlPFC, STS.…”

Enhanced Mirror Neuron Network Activity and Effective Connectivity during Live Interaction Among Female Subjects

“…The contrast [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with the results of a previous study using more stimulus blocks (Sato et al, 2019). Significant clusters included the bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network including the aTL, mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

“…We analyzed the functional localizer task for dynamic facial expression processing using a GLM containing two psychological regressors of interest, the "dynamic face" and "dynamic mosaic" conditions. The contrast of [dynamic face > dynamic mosaic] was compatible with results in a previous study using more stimulus blocks 27 . Significant clusters included bilateral amygdala, right posterior temporal cortex including the fusiform gyrus, and the mentalizing network, such as the right anterior temporal lobe (aTL), mPFC, and PCC (Supplementary Table S2, Fig.…”

Behavioral and neural underpinnings of empathic characteristics in a Humanitude-care expert

“…Our functional MRI data showed that YG exhibited stronger MNS activity, specifically in the right PMv and STS region, in response to dynamic facial expressions than did controls. Our observed activation of the PMv and STS region in the right hemisphere is compatible with previous neuroimaging findings indicating that these regions were active during observation of dynamic facial expressions (21)(22)(23)(24) and were the functional network used during processing of such expressions (22,24). The heightened activities in the right PMv and STS and the facial mimicry of YG are also in agreement with previous findings that these regions were associated with facial EMG activity during observation of facial expressions (24,81).…”

“…Contrasts between dynamic facial expression versus dynamic mosaic observations in YG and controls ( Supplementary Figure 1 and Supplementary Tables 1 , 2 ) revealed similar brain activity to those reported in previous studies [e.g., ( 23 )]. Specifically, in both YG and controls, significant activity was detected in the right PMv and bilateral STS regions.…”

Charting Decodability of Dynamic Facial Expressions in Young and Old Adults: Similarities and Differences

“…Previous studies have suggested that OFA exhibits distinct neural processing of facial components situated at precise spatial locations, whereas FFA processes these generally but not specifically [ 6 , 82 - 84 ]. Our findings corroborate previous studies of classification and decoding of emotional stimuli and perception of facial expressions in the brain [ 64 , 85 ], as well as posterior area STS, ventral FFA and OFA [ 67 , 71 , 86 ]. The information regarding facial expressions are processed in ventral regions such as OFA and FFA, while dynamic information is processed in dorsal areas such as dlPFC, STS.…”