Cited by 1,664Face Recognition and PerceptionEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Effects of Attention and Emotion on Face Processing in the Human Brain

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Vuilleumier, Patrik, Armony, Jorge L., Driver, Jon, Dolan, Raymond J.·2001·Neuron

Abstract

We used event-related fMRI to assess whether brain responses to fearful versus neutral faces are modulated by spatial attention. Subjects performed a demanding matching task for pairs of stimuli at prespecified locations, in the presence of task-irrelevant stimuli at other locations. Faces or houses unpredictably appeared at the relevant or irrelevant locations, while the faces had either fearful or neutral expressions. Activation of fusiform gyri by faces was strongly affected by attentional condition, but the left amygdala response to fearful faces was not. Right fusiform activity was greater for fearful than neutral faces, independently of the attention effect on this region. These results reveal differential influences on face processing from attention and emotion, with the amygdala response to threat-related expressions unaffected by a manipulation of attention that strongly modulates the fusiform response to faces.

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  • Neuronal activity associated with threat- or fear-related stimuli is obligatory.

    “Numerous studies have demonstrated that this is also reflected in attentional control and suggested that neuronal activity associated with threat- or fear-related stimuli is obligatory (Pessoa, McKenna, Gutierrez, & Ungerleider, 2002; Vuilleumier, Armony, Driver, & Dolan, 2001; Whalen et al., 1998).”

    From Selection history: How reward modulates selectivity of visual attention. (2018) · cites this paper as Vuilleumier, Armony, Driver, & Dolan, 2001

  • Emotional faces elicit enhanced response in limbic, frontal and visual cortical regions compared to neutral faces.

    “In general emotional faces elicit enhanced response in limbic, frontal and visual cortical regions compared to neutral faces (e.g, Haxby et al., 2002;Ishai et al., 2004;Vuilleumier et al., 2001;2004, Winston et al., 2003)).”

    From Affective Cognition and its Disruption in Mood Disorders (2011) · cites this paper as Vuilleumier et al., 2001

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Amaral, D.G., Price, J.L., Pitka ¨ nen, A., and Carmichael, S.T. (1992). Anatomical organization of the primate amygdaloid complex. In The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory and mental dysfunction, J. Aggleton, ed. (New York: Wiley-Liss), pp. 1-66

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Authors
Vuilleumier, P., Armony, J. L., Driver, J., & Dolan, R. J.
Affiliations
  • University College London (GB)
  • UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (GB)
  • The Royal Free Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Vuilleumier, Patrik
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2001-05
Volume
30
Issue
3
Pages
829-841
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1974572323
Cited by
1,664
References
96
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 67 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 80 · 2016: 86 · 2015: 85 · 2014: 74 · 2013: 110 · 2012: 107
FWCI
20.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Wellcome Trust
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
face processing, spatial attention, emotions, fearful faces, fusiform gyrus, amygdala, threat detection, attentional modulation, facial expression perception, hemispheric lateralization
MeSH terms
Adult, Amygdala, Attention, Eye Movements, Facial Expression, Fear, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Temporal Lobe, Visual Cortex, Visual Perception, Parahippocampal Gyrus

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