Connectivity at the origins of domain specificity in the cortical face and place networks

• Authors: Frederik S. Kamps, Emory University; Cassandra L. Hendrix, Emory University; Patricia Brennan, Emory University; Daniel Dilks, Emory University
• Journal Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• Volume: Volume 117, Number 11
• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences | 2020-03-17, Pages 6163-6169
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1911359117
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Radiology; Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Cognitive
• Keywords: development; fMRI; fusiform face area; parahippocampal place area; neonates

Abstract

Where does knowledge come from? We addressed this classic question using the test cases of the cortical face and scene networks: two well-studied examples of specialized “knowledge” systems in the adult brain. We found that neonates already show domain-specific patterns of functional connectivity between regions that will later develop full-blown face and scene selectivity. Furthermore, the proto face network showed stronger functional connectivity with foveal than with peripheral primary visual cortex, while the proto scene network showed the opposite pattern, revealing that these networks already receive differential visual inputs. Our findings support the hypothesis that innate connectivity precedes the emergence of domain-specific function in cortex, shedding new light on the age-old question of the origins of human knowledge.