The initial representation of individual faces in the right occipito-temporal cortex is holistic: Electrophysiological evidence from the composite face illusion

Abstract Researchers from multiple fields have sought to understand how sex moderates human social behavior. While over 50 years of research has revealed differences in cooperation behavior of males and females, the underlying neural correlates of these sex differences have not been explained. A missing and fundamental element of this puzzle is an understanding of how the sex composition of an interacting dyad influences the brain and behavior during cooperation. Using fNIRS-based hyperscanning in 111 same- and mixed-sex dyads, we identified significant behavioral and neural sex-related differences in association with a computer-based cooperation task. Dyads containing at least one male demonstrated significantly higher behavioral performance than female/female dyads. Individual males and females showed significant activation in the right frontopolar and right inferior prefrontal cortices, although this activation was greater in females compared to males. Female/female dyad’s exhibited significant inter-brain coherence within the right temporal cortex, while significant coherence in male/male dyads occurred in the right inferior prefrontal cortex. Significant coherence was not observed in mixed-sex dyads. Finally, for same-sex dyads only, task-related inter-brain coherence was positively correlated with cooperation task performance. Our results highlight multiple important and previously undetected influences of sex on concurrent neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation.

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Localization of Syntactic and Semantic Brain Responses using Magnetoencephalography

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2007.19.7.1193 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 19 (7) ◽

pp. 1193-1205 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

Elisabet Service ◽

Päivi Helenius ◽

Sini Maury ◽

Riitta Salmelin

Keyword(s):

Temporal Lobe ◽

Semantic Processing ◽

Sentence Comprehension ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Word Class ◽

Sentence Reading ◽

Word Onset ◽

Semantic Errors ◽

The Right

Electrophysiological methods have been used to study the temporal sequence of syntactic and semantic processing during sentence comprehension. Two responses associated with syntactic violations are the left anterior negativity (LAN) and the P600. A response to semantic violation is the N400. Although the sources of the N400 response have been identified in the left (and right) temporal lobe, the neural signatures of the LAN and P600 have not been revealed. The present study used magnetoencephalography to localize sources of syntactic and semantic activation in Finnish sentence reading. Participants were presented with sentences that ended in normally inf lected nouns, nouns in an unacceptable case, verbs instead of nouns, or nouns that were correctly inflected but made no sense in the context. Around 400 msec, semantically anomalous last words evoked strong activation in the left superior temporal lobe with significant activation also for word class errors (N400). Weaker activation was seen for the semantic errors in the right hemisphere. Later, 600-800 msec after word onset, the strongest activation was seen to word class and morphosyntactic errors (P600). Activation was significantly weaker to semantically anomalous and correct words. The P600 syntactic activation was localized to bilateral sources in the temporal lobe, posterior to the N400 sources. The results suggest that the same general region of the superior temporal cortex gives rise to both LAN and N400 with bilateral reactivity to semantic manipulation and a left hemisphere effect to syntactic manipulation. The bilateral P600 response was sensitive to syntactic but not semantic factors.

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Task-Dependent Modulation of Regions in the Left Inferior Frontal Cortex during Semantic Processing

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/08989290152541485 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 829-843 ◽

Cited By ~ 177

Author(s):

A. L. Roskies ◽

J. A. Fiez ◽

D. A. Balota ◽

M. E. Raichle ◽

S. E. Petersen

Keyword(s):

Frontal Cortex ◽

Language Processing ◽

Semantic Processing ◽

Semantic Analysis ◽

Lexical Processing ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Inferior Frontal Cortex ◽

Semantic Judgment ◽

The Right

To distinguish areas involved in the processing of word meaning (semantics) from other regions involved in lexical processing more generally, subjects were scanned with positron emission tomography (PET) while performing lexical tasks, three of which required varying degrees of semantic analysis and one that required phonological analysis. Three closely apposed regions in the left inferior frontal cortex and one in the right cerebellum were significantly active above baseline in the semantic tasks, but not in the nonsemantic task. The activity in two of the frontal regions was modulated by the difficulty of the semantic judgment. Other regions, including some in the left temporal cortex and the cerebellum, were active across all four language tasks. Thus, in addition to a number of regions known to be active during language processing, regions in the left inferior frontal cortex were specifically recruited during semantic processing in a task-dependent manner. A region in the right cerebellum may be functionally related to those in the left inferior frontal cortex. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for current views regarding neural substrates of semantic processing.

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Cross-modal Processing in the Occipito-temporal Cortex: A TMS Study of the Müller-Lyer Illusion

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2010.21561 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (8) ◽

pp. 1987-1997 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Flavia Mancini ◽

Nadia Bolognini ◽

Emanuela Bricolo ◽

Giuseppe Vallar

Keyword(s):

Temporal Cortex ◽

Visual Modality ◽

Lateral Occipital Complex ◽

Lyer Illusion ◽

Superior Parietal Cortex ◽

Left And Right ◽

Neural Underpinnings ◽

The Right ◽

Underlying Processes

The Müller-Lyer illusion occurs both in vision and in touch, and transfers cross-modally from vision to haptics [Mancini, F., Bricolo, E., & Vallar, G. Multisensory integration in the Müller-Lyer illusion: From vision to haptics. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63, 818–830, 2010]. Recent evidence suggests that the neural underpinnings of the Müller-Lyer illusion in the visual modality involve the bilateral lateral occipital complex (LOC) and right superior parietal cortex (SPC). Conversely, the neural correlates of the haptic and cross-modal illusions have never been investigated previously. Here we used repetitive TMS (rTMS) to address the causal role of the regions activated by the visual illusion in the generation of the visual, haptic, and cross-modal visuo-haptic illusory effects, investigating putative modality-specific versus cross-modal underlying processes. rTMS was administered to the right and the left hemisphere, over occipito-temporal cortex or SPC. rTMS over left and right occipito-temporal cortex impaired both unisensory (visual, haptic) and cross-modal processing of the illusion in a similar fashion. Conversely, rTMS interference over left and right SPC did not affect the illusion in any modality. These results demonstrate the causal involvement of bilateral occipito-temporal cortex in the representation of the visual, haptic, and cross-modal Müller-Lyer illusion, in favor of the hypothesis of shared underlying processes. This indicates that occipito-temporal cortex plays a cross-modal role in perception both of illusory and nonillusory shapes.

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Neurofunctional Effects of Cannabis on Response Inhibition

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70441-9 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. Borgwardt ◽

P. Allen ◽

S. Bhattacharyya ◽

P. Fusar-Poli ◽

J.A. Crippa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Response Inhibition ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Psychotic Symptoms ◽

Double Blind ◽

Subject Design ◽

Mediate Response ◽

The Right

Background:This study examined the effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on brain activation during a motor inhibition task.Methods:Functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural measures were recorded while 15 healthy volunteers performed a Go/No-Go task following administration of either THC or CBD or placebo in a double-blind, pseudo-randomized, placebo-controlled repeated measures within-subject design.Results:Relative to placebo, THC attenuated activation in the right inferior frontal and the anterior cingulate gyrus. In contrast, CBD deactivated the left temporal cortex and insula. These effects were not related to changes in anxiety, intoxication, sedation, and psychotic symptoms.Conclusions:These data suggest that THC attenuates the engagement of brain regions that mediate response inhibition. CBD modulated function in regions not usually implicated in response inhibition.

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Disturbed Sound Lateralization in Patients with Spatial Neglect

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2003.15.5.694 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 694-703 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Ulrike Zimmer ◽

Jörg Lewald ◽

Hans-Otto Karnath

Keyword(s):

Small Deviation ◽

Free Field ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Space Perception ◽

Median Plane ◽

Systematic Errors ◽

Spatial Neglect ◽

Auditory Space ◽

Left Brain ◽

The Right

Previous studies on auditory space perception in patients with neglect have investigated localization of free-field-sound stimuli or lateralization of dichotic stimuli that are perceived intracranially. Since those studies in part revealed contradictory results, reporting either systematic errors to the left or systematic errors to the right, we reassessed the ability of auditory lateralization in patients with right hemispheric lesions with and without neglect. Unexpectedly, about half of the patients with neglect showed erratic judgments on sound position, that is, they were completely unable to lateralize sounds. The remaining neglect patients only showed a small deviation of the auditory median plane to the left side, indicating that they perceived the sounds as slightly shifted to the right side. The comparison between both groups revealed higher severity of neglect in the group of neglect patients who were unable to perform the task, suggesting that the inability of sound lateralization was associated with the strength of clinical neglect. However, we also observed 1 out of 9 patients with left brain damage who was not able to lateralize spatial sounds. This patient did not show any symptoms of spatial neglect. Thus, it may be that a spatial auditory deficit, such as that observed here in right-braindamaged patients, only co-occurs with spatial neglect if the right superior temporal cortex is lesioned.

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Partly reversible central auditory dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2013.7.jns13674 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 119 (5) ◽

pp. 1125-1128 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ester Ponzetto ◽

Marco Vinetti ◽

Cécile Grandin ◽

Thierry Duprez ◽

Vincent van Pesch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽

Cerebral Vasospasm ◽

Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽

Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽

Rare Complication ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Intraarterial Infusion ◽

Auditory Dysfunction ◽

The Right

The authors describe a rare case of central auditory dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A 55-year-old woman who was admitted after aneurysmal SAH developed cerebral vasospasm on Day 3 affecting mainly the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and partly the left MCA. The vasospasm became refractory to conventional therapy and was ultimately improved by intraarterial infusion of nimodipine in the right MCA and angioplasty. Severe auditory dysfunction was apparent from Day 10 as the patient was not reactive to speech or environmental sounds. Brain MRI on Day 17 demonstrated infarcted areas mainly in the right hippocampus, medial occipital lobe, and thalamus. The patient underwent further examination using audiometry, speech testing, auditory evoked potentials, functional MRI, and cerebral PET. The initial diagnosis was extended nonverbal agnosia and total pure word deafness. The central auditory dysfunction improved over 6 months, with persisting hyperacusis, tinnitus, and amusia. Central auditory dysfunction is a rare complication after SAH. While cortical deafness may be associated with bilateral lesions of the temporal cortex, partly reversible central auditory dysfunction was observed in this patient after prominently unilateral right temporal lesions. The role of the interthalamic connections can be discussed, as well as the possibility that a less severe vasospasm on the left MCA could have transiently impaired the left thalamocortical auditory pathways.

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Representation of Action in Occipito-temporal Cortex

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2010.21552 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (7) ◽

pp. 1765-1780 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Alison J. Wiggett ◽

Paul E. Downing

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Temporal Cortex ◽

Adaptation Effect ◽

Whole Body ◽

Lateral Occipital Complex ◽

Specific Adaptation ◽

Face Area ◽

The Right ◽

Adaptation Effects

A fundamental question for social cognitive neuroscience is how and where in the brain the identities and actions of others are represented. Here we present a replication and extension of a study by Kable and Chatterjee [Kable, J. W., & Chatterjee, A. Specificity of action representations in the lateral occipito-temporal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 1498–1517, 2006] examining the role of occipito-temporal cortex in these processes. We presented full-cue movies of actors performing whole-body actions and used fMRI to test for action- and identity-specific adaptation effects. We examined a series of functionally defined regions, including the extrastriate and fusiform body areas, the fusiform face area, the parahippocampal place area, the lateral occipital complex, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, and motion-selective area hMT+. These regions were analyzed with both standard univariate measures as well as multivoxel pattern analyses. Additionally, we performed whole-brain tests for significant adaptation effects. We found significant action-specific adaptation in many areas, but no evidence for identity-specific adaptation. We argue that this finding could be explained by differences in the familiarity of the stimuli presented: The actions shown were familiar but the actors performing the actions were unfamiliar. However, in contrast to previous findings, we found that the action adaptation effect could not be conclusively tied to specific functionally defined regions. Instead, our results suggest that the adaptation to previously seen actions across identities is a widespread effect, evident across lateral and ventral occipito-temporal cortex.

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