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Cited by 422Face Recognition and PerceptionFace recognition and analysisVisual perception and processing mechanisms

Electrophysiological studies of human face perception. III: Effects of top-down processing on face-specific potentials

Puce, A.·1999·Cerebral Cortex
DOI 10.1093/cercor/9.5.445
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Abstract

This is the last in a series of papers dealing with intracranial event-related potential (ERP) correlates of face perception. Here we describe the results of manipulations that may exert top-down influences on face recognition and face-specific ERPs, and the effects of cortical stimulation at face-specific sites. Ventral face-specific N200 was not evoked by affective stimuli; showed little or no habituation; was not affected by the familiarity or unfamiliarity of faces; showed no semantic priming; and was not affected by face-name learning or identification. P290 and N700 were affected by semantic priming and by face-name learning and identification. The early fraction of N700 and face-specific P350 exhibited significant habituation. About half of the AP350 sites exhibited semantic priming, whereas the VP350 and LP350 sites did not. Cortical stimulation evoked a transient inability to name familiar faces or evoked face-related hallucinations at two-thirds of face-specific N200 sites. These results are discussed in relation to human behavioral studies and monkey single-cell recordings. Discussion of results of all three papers concludes that: face-specific N200 reflects the operation of a module specialized for the perception of human faces; ventral and lateral occipitotemporal cortex are composed of a complex mosaic of functionally discrete patches of cortex of variable number, size and location; in ventral cortex there is a posterior-to-anterior trend in the location of patches in the order letter-strings, form, hands, objects, faces and face parts; P290 and N700 at face-specific N200 sites, and face-specific P350, are subject to top-down influences.

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Crossref · 10.1093/cercor/9.5.445

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  • There may be columns of neurons specialized for the recognition of letters, graphemes, or words, but they are likely to be intermixed with other neurons involved in object and face recognition.

    “There may be columns of neurons specialized for the recognition of letters, graphemes, or words, but they are likely to be intermixed with other neurons involved in object and face recognition (Puce et al., 1999).”

    From Specialization within the ventral stream: the case for the visual word form area (2004) · cites this paper as Puce et al., 1999

  • Because the VWFA may contain cortical columns specialized for letter processing mixed with columns with different preferences, disruption of the VWFA would likely induce some degree of impairment beyond reading.

    “Given that the VWFA may contain cortical columns specialized for letter processing, mixed with columns with different preferences (Puce et al., 1999), it is likely that a disruption of the VWFA would induce some degree of impairment beyond reading (Behrmann et al., 1998a).”

    From Specialization within the ventral stream: the case for the visual word form area (2004) · cites this paper as Puce et al., 1999

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Authors
Puce, A.
Affiliations
United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
Corresponding author
Puce, A.
ORCID
Puce, A.
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1999-07-01
Volume
9
Issue
5
Pages
445-458
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
DOI
10.1093/cercor/9.5.445
OpenAlex
W2151799366
Cited by
422
References
89
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 15
FWCI
11.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (MH-05 286, R01MH005286)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Face recognition and analysis
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Keywords
face perception, top-down processing, N2 component, P350, semantic priming, habituation, cortical stimulation, face hallucination, face recognition (cognition), ventral occipitotemporal cortex, intracranial recordings
MeSH terms
Arousal, Cerebral Cortex, Electric Stimulation, Emotions, Evoked Potentials, Visual, Facial Expression, Form Perception, Habituation, Psychophysiologic, Humans, Mental Processes, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Semantics

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