Face processing in the chimpanzee brain

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Lisa A. Parr, Emory University; Erin Hecht, Emory University; Sarah K. Barks, Emory University; Todd M Preuss, Emory University; John R Votaw, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2009-01-13
• Publisher: Elsevier (Cell Press): 12 month embargo
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.048
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Current Biology
• ISSN: 0960-9822
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 50
• End Page: 53
• Grant/Funding Information: This investigation was supported by RR-00165 from the NIH/NCRR to the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (YNPRC), R01-MH068791 to LA Parr, NIGMS T32 GM008605 training grant to E. Hecht, and The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience IBS#9876754, a Science and Technology Center Program of the National Science Foundation.
• Research Categories: Biology, General

Abstract

Summary Among humans, face recognition involves highly specialized cognitive and neural processes that enable the recognition of specific individuals [1–5]. While comparative studies suggest similar cognitive processes underlie face recognition in chimpanzees and humans [6–8, SOM#1], it remains unknown whether chimpanzees also show face-selective activity in ventral temporal cortex. This study is the first to examine regional cerebral glucose metabolism using 18F-Flurodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in chimpanzees after they performed computerized tasks matching conspecifics’ faces and nonface objects (SOM#2). A whole brain analysis comparing these two tasks directly in five chimpanzees revealed significant face-selective activity in brain regions known to comprise the distributed cortical face processing network in humans, including superior temporal sulcus and orbitofrontal cortex [9–11]. In order to identify regions that were exclusively active during one task, but not the other, a resting-state condition was subtracted from each task and the activity exclusive to each task was identified. This revealed numerous distinct patches of face-selective activity in the fusiform gyrus that were interspersed within a large expanse of object-selective cortex. This pattern suggests similar object form topography in the ventral temporal cortex of chimpanzees and humans, in which faces may represent a special class of visual stimulus.