Altering second-order configurations reduces the adaptation effects on early face-sensitive event-related potential components

作者：Vakli Pal; Nemeth Kornel; Zimmer Marta; Schweinberger Stefan R; Kovacs Gyula^*

来源：Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2014, 8: 426.

DOI：10.3389/fnhum.2014.00426

• second-order relations
• face processing
• N170
• neural adaptation
• face aftereffect

The spatial distances among the features of a face are commonly referred to as second-order relations, and the coding of these properties is often regarded as a cornerstone in face recognition. Previous studies have provided mixed results regarding whether the N170, a face-sensitive component of the event-related potential, is sensitive to secondorder relations. Here we investigated this issue in a gender discrimination paradigm following long-term (5 s) adaptation to normal or vertically stretched male and female faces, considering that the latter manipulation substantially alters the position of the inner facial features. Gender-ambiguous faces were more likely judged to be female following adaptation to a male face and vice versa. This aftereffect was smaller but statistically significant after being adapted to vertically stretched when compared to unstretched adapters. Event-related potential recordings revealed that adaptation effects measured on the amplitude of the N170 show strong modulations by the second-order relations of the adapter: reduced N170 amplitude was observed, however, this reduction was smaller in magnitude after being adapted to stretched when compared to unstretched faces. These findings suggest early face-processing, as reflected in the N170 component, proceeds by extracting the spatial relations of inner facial features.

• 出版日期2014-6-12