Age-related increase of image-invariance in the fusiform face area. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nordt, Marisa; Semmelmann, Kilian; Genç, Erhan; Weigelt, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Developmental cognitive neuroscience. Volume 31(2018)
• Page Start: 46
• Page End: 57
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Childhood -- Development -- Face processing -- FFA -- fMRI adaptation -- Invariance; Cognitive neuroscience -- Periodicals; Developmental neurobiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychiatry -- Periodicals; 612.8233
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.04.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1878-9293

Abstract

Highlights: Image invariance in the FFA increases from age seven to adulthood. These results are confirmed by two independent ROI analyses. Adaptation in the FFA relates to the ability to recognize a face in multiple images. Abstract: Face recognition undergoes prolonged development from childhood to adulthood, thereby raising the question which neural underpinnings are driving this development. Here, we address the development of the neural foundation of the ability to recognize a face across naturally varying images. Fourteen children (ages, 7–10) and 14 adults (ages, 20–23) watched images of either the same or different faces in a functional magnetic resonance imaging adaptation paradigm. The same face was either presented in exact image repetitions or in varying images. Additionally, a subset of participants completed a behavioral task, in which they decided if the face in consecutively presented images belonged to the same person. Results revealed age-related increases in neural sensitivity to face identity in the fusiform face area. Importantly, ventral temporal face-selective regions exhibited more image-invariance – as indicated by stronger adaptation for different images of the same person – in adults compared to children. Crucially, the amount of adaptation to face identity across varying images was correlated with the ability to recognize individual faces in different images. These results suggest that the increase of image-invariance in face-selective regions might be related to the development of face recognition skills.