Event-related potential investigation of different neural pathways for face and pattern perceptions in the human brain

Ryozo Aoki, Shinnya Okamoto, Takahiro Sakimoto, Kazuki Yoshida, Hitoshi Sasaki

Department of Electricity and Electronics, College of Industrial Technology, Amagasaki, Japan.
Department of Electricity and Electronics, College of Industrial Technology, Amagasaki, Japan Email: ryo.
Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/jbise.2012.54022                

Abstract

Two different pathways in the brain have been implicated in the human visual perception process. One involves emotional cognition of face features, and the other involves spatial pattern cognition. In the present study, we used the event-related potential (ERP) method to examine temporal activation of the perception pathways at a fine time resolution of less than 10 ms. Four electrodes were attached onto their heads at O₂, P_z, T₄, and F_z, and ERP waveforms were observed on each electrode simultaneously. Nine portraits of actresses and 9 geometrical figures were chosen respectively, and presented on a CRT display in random order. The two types of figures elicited different responses. For portraits, the first significant N100 peak appeared on P_z and F_z, but not O₂. For patterns, it started at N130 on O₂. A significant response to portraits mostly appeared on T₄, P_z, and F_z, and to patterns on O₂, P_z, and F_z.

Keywords

Influenza Visual-Perception; Cognition-System; Limbic-System; Oddball-Method; ERP; N100; N170; P300

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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