Visual processing of facial affect

Stephen Lewis; Robert J. Thoma; Marianna D. Lanoue; Gregory A. Miller; Wendy Heller; Christopher Edgar; Minxiong Huang; Michael P. Weisend; Jessica Irwin; Kim Paulson; José M. Cañive

doi:10.1097/00001756-200310060-00017

Visual processing of facial affect

Stephen Lewis, Robert J. Thoma, Marianna D. Lanoue, Gregory A. Miller, Wendy Heller, Christopher Edgar, Minxiong Huang, Michael P. Weisend, Jessica Irwin, Kim Paulson, José M. Cañive

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

To evaluate the role of the fusiform gyrus in identifying and processing facial emotional expression in humans, MEG data were collected while six healthy subjects judged whether photographs of faces displayed emotion (happiness or disgust) compared to neutral faces and equiluminant scrambled faces. For all six subjects, a magnetic source localizing to right fusiform gyrus was evident ∼150 ms following presentation of face stimuli, but not following non-face stimuli. MEG source strength for this component was greatest for happy, intermediate for disgust, and lowest for neutral facial expressions, suggesting that activity in fusiform gyrus is sensitive to both face-specific stimuli and to the affective content of the face. These findings are considered in the context of a specialized neural face-dependent information system.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1841-1845
Number of pages	5
Journal	NeuroReport
Volume	14
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200310060-00017
State	Published - Oct 6 2003
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Facial expression
Magnetoencephalography
Non-verbal communication
Visual perception

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience

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10.1097/00001756-200310060-00017

Cite this

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title = "Visual processing of facial affect",

abstract = "To evaluate the role of the fusiform gyrus in identifying and processing facial emotional expression in humans, MEG data were collected while six healthy subjects judged whether photographs of faces displayed emotion (happiness or disgust) compared to neutral faces and equiluminant scrambled faces. For all six subjects, a magnetic source localizing to right fusiform gyrus was evident ∼150 ms following presentation of face stimuli, but not following non-face stimuli. MEG source strength for this component was greatest for happy, intermediate for disgust, and lowest for neutral facial expressions, suggesting that activity in fusiform gyrus is sensitive to both face-specific stimuli and to the affective content of the face. These findings are considered in the context of a specialized neural face-dependent information system.",

keywords = "Facial expression, Magnetoencephalography, Non-verbal communication, Visual perception",

author = "Stephen Lewis and Thoma, {Robert J.} and Lanoue, {Marianna D.} and Miller, {Gregory A.} and Wendy Heller and Christopher Edgar and Minxiong Huang and Weisend, {Michael P.} and Jessica Irwin and Kim Paulson and Ca{\~n}ive, {Jos{\'e} M.}",

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T1 - Visual processing of facial affect

AU - Lewis, Stephen

AU - Thoma, Robert J.

AU - Lanoue, Marianna D.

AU - Miller, Gregory A.

AU - Heller, Wendy

AU - Edgar, Christopher

AU - Huang, Minxiong

AU - Weisend, Michael P.

AU - Irwin, Jessica

AU - Paulson, Kim

AU - Cañive, José M.

PY - 2003/10/6

Y1 - 2003/10/6

N2 - To evaluate the role of the fusiform gyrus in identifying and processing facial emotional expression in humans, MEG data were collected while six healthy subjects judged whether photographs of faces displayed emotion (happiness or disgust) compared to neutral faces and equiluminant scrambled faces. For all six subjects, a magnetic source localizing to right fusiform gyrus was evident ∼150 ms following presentation of face stimuli, but not following non-face stimuli. MEG source strength for this component was greatest for happy, intermediate for disgust, and lowest for neutral facial expressions, suggesting that activity in fusiform gyrus is sensitive to both face-specific stimuli and to the affective content of the face. These findings are considered in the context of a specialized neural face-dependent information system.

AB - To evaluate the role of the fusiform gyrus in identifying and processing facial emotional expression in humans, MEG data were collected while six healthy subjects judged whether photographs of faces displayed emotion (happiness or disgust) compared to neutral faces and equiluminant scrambled faces. For all six subjects, a magnetic source localizing to right fusiform gyrus was evident ∼150 ms following presentation of face stimuli, but not following non-face stimuli. MEG source strength for this component was greatest for happy, intermediate for disgust, and lowest for neutral facial expressions, suggesting that activity in fusiform gyrus is sensitive to both face-specific stimuli and to the affective content of the face. These findings are considered in the context of a specialized neural face-dependent information system.

KW - Facial expression

KW - Magnetoencephalography

KW - Non-verbal communication

KW - Visual perception

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Visual processing of facial affect

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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