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Stages of processing in face perception: an MEG study

Nature Neuroscience volume 5, pages 910–916 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Here we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate stages of processing in face perception in humans. We found a face-selective MEG response occurring only 100 ms after stimulus onset (the 'M100'), 70 ms earlier than previously reported. Further, the amplitude of this M100 response was correlated with successful categorization of stimuli as faces, but not with successful recognition of individual faces, whereas the previously-described face-selective 'M170' response was correlated with both processes. These data suggest that face processing proceeds through two stages: an initial stage of face categorization, and a later stage at which the identity of the individual face is extracted.

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Figure 1: MEG data from a typical subject.
Figure 2: Amplitudes of the peak M100 response, averaged across subjects, to faces and a variety of nonface objects at predefined sensors of interest.
Figure 3: Stimulus and task for experiment 4.
Figure 4: Categorization versus identification.
Figure 5: Face configuration versus face parts.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Sadr and P. Sinha for helpful discussions on their RISE technique, M. Eimer, S. Hillyard, A. Marantz, M. Valdes-Sosa, P. Downing, W. Freiwald, K. Grill-Spector, Y. Jiang and the rest of the Kanwisher Lab for comments on the manuscript. Supported by the Reed Fund and National Eye Institute grant (EY13455) to N.K.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, NE20-443, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts, USA

    Jia Liu, Alison Harris & Nancy Kanwisher

  2. The McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts, USA

    Nancy Kanwisher

  3. MGH/MIT/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, 02129, Massachusetts, USA

    Nancy Kanwisher

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  1. Jia Liu
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Correspondence to Jia Liu.

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Liu, J., Harris, A. & Kanwisher, N. Stages of processing in face perception: an MEG study. Nat Neurosci 5, 910–916 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn909

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