[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

Program#/Poster#: 261.6/CC3
Topic: D.04.j. Processing of objects and faces
Support: NINDS K08 NS048871
Title: Face-category selective neuronal activity in human‟s temporal cortex
Authors: *A. E. IPATA 1,2 , J. BESLE 1,3 , A. L. GEE 1,2 , C. A. SCHEVON 1,4 , R. EMERSON 1,4,5 ,
J. CAPPELL 1,4,5 , R. R. GOODMAN 1,6 , G. M. MCKHANN 1,6 , A. WAZIRI 1,6 , M. E.
GOLDBERG 1,4 ;
2 Neurosci., 3 Psychiatry, 4 Neurol., 5 Pediatrics, 6 Neurolog. Surgery, 1 Columbia Univ., New York,
NY
Abstract: Primates can efficiently determine identities, emotions and intentions by looking at
faces. In human as in monkey temporal cortex, there are classes of neurons that respond better to
faces than other objects. However, it is unclear whether this selectivity is purely sensorial or also
relates to the cognitive meaning of the visual stimulus. To answer this question, we recorded one
epileptic patient implanted both with a 4x4mm 2-dimensional intracortical array of 96
microelectrodes (Cyberkinetics, Foxboro, MA) in posterior temporal cortex and with subdural
macro-electrode grids over the major part of the temporal cortex. The patient performed a
modified match to sample task in which she had to maintain sustained attention to the category
of an object and not to a specific object identity. Each trial consisted of a visual cue in one of 5
possible categories (fruits, cars, furniture, buildings and faces) sustained for 1000 ms, followed
by a sequence of 1 to 7 non-face objects (“delay period”). The subject was required to report
when an object of the same category of the cue appeared. Action potentials were detected and
classified offline. We analyzed the activity of 97 cells that were classified as visually responsive
(out of 165 identified neurons). 81/97 neurons responded better to the appearance of faces than
other objects (non-parametric Wilcoxon p