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MacLean MW, Hadid V, Spreng RN, Lepore F. Revealing robust neural correlates of conscious and unconscious visual processing: activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses. Neuroimage 2023; 273:120088. [PMID: 37030413 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Our ability to consciously perceive information from the visual scene relies on a myriad of intrinsic neural mechanisms. Functional neuroimaging studies have sought to identify the neural correlates of conscious visual processing and to further dissociate from those pertaining to preconscious and unconscious visual processing. However, delineating what core brain regions are involved in eliciting a conscious percept remains a challenge, particularly regarding the role of prefrontal-parietal regions. We performed a systematic search of the literature that yielded a total of 54 functional neuroimaging studies. We conducted two quantitative meta-analyses using activation likelihood estimation to identify reliable patterns of activation engaged by i. conscious (n = 45 studies, comprising 704 participants) and ii. unconscious (n = 16 studies, comprising 262 participants) visual processing during various task performances. Results of the meta-analysis specific to conscious percepts quantitatively revealed reliable activations across a constellation of regions comprising the bilateral inferior frontal junction, intraparietal sulcus, dorsal anterior cingulate, angular gyrus, temporo-occipital cortex and anterior insula. Neurosynth reverse inference revealed conscious visual processing to be intertwined with cognitive terms related to attention, cognitive control and working memory. Results of the meta-analysis on unconscious percepts revealed consistent activations in the lateral occipital complex, intraparietal sulcus and precuneus. These findings highlight the notion that conscious visual processing readily engages higher-level regions including the inferior frontal junction and unconscious processing reliably recruits posterior regions, mainly the lateral occipital complex.
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Dahlén AD, Schofield A, Schiöth HB, Brooks SJ. Subliminal Emotional Faces Elicit Predominantly Right-Lateralized Amygdala Activation: A Systematic Meta-Analysis of fMRI Studies. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:868366. [PMID: 35924231 PMCID: PMC9339677 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.868366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior research suggests that conscious face processing occurs preferentially in right hemisphere occipito-parietal regions. However, less is known about brain regions associated with non-conscious processing of faces, and whether a right-hemispheric dominance persists in line with specific affective responses. We aim to review the neural responses systematically, quantitatively, and qualitatively underlying subliminal face processing. PubMed was searched for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) publications assessing subliminal emotional face stimuli up to March 2022. Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analyses and narrative reviews were conducted on all studies that met ALE requirements. Risk of bias was assessed using the AXIS tool. In a meta-analysis of all 22 eligible studies (merging clinical and non-clinical populations, whole brain and region of interest analyses), bilateral amygdala activation was reported in the left (x = −19.2, y = 1.5, z = −17.1) in 59% of studies, and in the right (x = 24.4, y = −1.7, z = −17.4) in 68% of studies. In a second meta-analysis of non-clinical participants only (n = 18), bilateral amygdala was again reported in the left (x = −18, y = 3.9, z = −18.4) and right (x = 22.8, y = −0.9, z = −17.4) in 56% of studies for both clusters. In a final meta-analysis of whole-brain studies only (n=14), bilateral amygdala was also reported in the left (x = −20.2, y = 2.9, z = −17.2) in 64% of studies, and right (x = 24.2, y = −0.7, z = −17.8) in 71% of studies. The findings suggest that non-consciously detected emotional faces may influence amygdala activation, especially right-lateralized (a higher percentage of convergence in studies), which are integral for pre-conscious affect and long-term memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia D. Dahlén
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aphra Schofield
- Faculty of Health, School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Samantha J. Brooks
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Faculty of Health, School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Samantha J. Brooks
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Ito A, Yoshida K, Aoki R, Fujii T, Kawasaki I, Hayashi A, Ueno A, Sakai S, Mugikura S, Takahashi S, Mori E. The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Preferential Decisions for Own- and Other-Age Faces. Front Psychol 2022; 13:822234. [PMID: 35360573 PMCID: PMC8962742 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.822234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Own-age bias is a well-known bias reflecting the effects of age, and its role has been demonstrated, particularly, in face recognition. However, it remains unclear whether an own-age bias exists in facial impression formation. In the present study, we used three datasets from two published and one unpublished functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that employed the same pleasantness rating task with fMRI scanning and preferential choice task after the fMRI to investigate whether healthy young and older participants showed own-age effects in face preference. Specifically, we employed a drift-diffusion model to elaborate the existence of own-age bias in the processes of preferential choice. The behavioral results showed higher rating scores and higher drift rate for young faces than for older faces, regardless of the ages of participants. We identified a young-age effect, but not an own-age effect. Neuroimaging results from aggregation analysis of the three datasets suggest a possibility that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was associated with evidence accumulation of own-age faces; however, no clear evidence was provided. Importantly, we found no age-related decline in the responsiveness of the vmPFC to subjective pleasantness of faces, and both young and older participants showed a contribution of the vmPFC to the parametric representation of the subjective value of face and functional coupling between the vmPFC and ventral visual area, which reflects face preference. These results suggest that the preferential choice of face is less susceptible to the own-age bias across the lifespan of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayahito Ito
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Kazuki Yoshida
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Aoki
- Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshikatsu Fujii
- Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Iori Kawasaki
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Akiko Hayashi
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Aya Ueno
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shinya Sakai
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shunji Mugikura
- Division of Image Statistics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shoki Takahashi
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Etsuro Mori
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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Chuan-Peng H, Huang Y, Eickhoff SB, Peng K, Sui J. Seeking the "Beauty Center" in the Brain: A Meta-Analysis of fMRI Studies of Beautiful Human Faces and Visual Art. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:1200-1215. [PMID: 33089442 PMCID: PMC8058033 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00827-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
During the past two decades, cognitive neuroscientists have sought to elucidate the common neural basis of the experience of beauty. Still, empirical evidence for such common neural basis of different forms of beauty is not conclusive. To address this question, we performed an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on the existing neuroimaging studies of beauty appreciation of faces and visual art by nonexpert adults (49 studies, 982 participants, meta-data are available at https://osf.io/s9xds/ ). We observed that perceiving these two forms of beauty activated distinct brain regions: While the beauty of faces convergently activated the left ventral striatum, the beauty of visual art convergently activated the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC). However, a conjunction analysis failed to reveal any common brain regions for the beauty of visual art and faces. The implications of these results are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Chuan-Peng
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany.
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kaiping Peng
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Sui
- School of Psychology, the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Levorsen M, Ito A, Suzuki S, Izuma K. Testing the reinforcement learning hypothesis of social conformity. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:1328-1342. [PMID: 33245196 PMCID: PMC7927302 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Our preferences are influenced by the opinions of others. The past human neuroimaging studies on social conformity have identified a network of brain regions related to social conformity that includes the posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC), anterior insula, and striatum. Since these brain regions are also known to play important roles in reinforcement learning (i.e., processing prediction error), it was previously hypothesized that social conformity and reinforcement learning have a common neural mechanism. However, although this view is currently widely accepted, these two processes have never been directly compared; therefore, the extent to which they shared a common neural mechanism had remained unclear. This study aimed to formally test the hypothesis. The same group of participants (n = 25) performed social conformity and reinforcement learning tasks inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. Univariate fMRI data analyses revealed activation overlaps in the pMFC and bilateral insula between social conflict and unsigned prediction error and in the striatum between social conflict and signed prediction error. We further conducted multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) for more direct evidence of a shared neural mechanism. MVPA did not reveal any evidence to support the hypothesis in any of these regions but found that activation patterns between social conflict and prediction error in these regions were largely distinct. Taken together, the present study provides no clear evidence of a common neural mechanism between social conformity and reinforcement learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Levorsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ayahito Ito
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Research Center for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Suzuki
- Brain, Mind and Markets Laboratory, Department of Finance, Faculty of Business and Economics, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Keise Izuma
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Research Center for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan.,School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
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Ito A, Yoshida K, Takeda K, Sawamura D, Murakami Y, Hasegawa A, Sakai S, Izuma K. The role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in automatic formation of impression and reflected impression. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3045-3058. [PMID: 32301546 PMCID: PMC7336154 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous neuroimaging studies demonstrated that ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activity reflects how much an individual positively views each person (impression). Here, we investigated whether the degree to which individuals think others positively view them (reflected impression) is similarly tracked by activity in the vmPFC by using fMRI and speed-dating events. We also examined whether activity of the vmPFC in response to the faces of others would predict the impression formed through direct interactions with them. The task consisted of three sessions: pre-speed-dating fMRI, speed-dating events, and post-speed-dating fMRI (not reported here). During the pre-speed-dating fMRI, each participant passively viewed the faces of others whom they would meet in the subsequent speed-dating events. After the fMRI, they rated the impression and reflected impression of each face. During the speed-dating events, the participants had 3-min conversations with partners whose faces were presented during the fMRI task, and they were asked to choose the partners whom they preferred at the end of the events. The results revealed that the value of both the impression and reflected impression were automatically represented in the vmPFC. However, the impression fully mediated the link between the reflected impression and vmPFC activity. These results highlight a close link between reflected appraisal and impression formation and provide important insights into neural and psychological models of how the reflected impression is formed in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayahito Ito
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Kazuki Yoshida
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kenta Takeda
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Department of Rehabilitation for the Movement Functions, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | | | - Yui Murakami
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Department of Occupational Therapy, Hokkaido Bunkyo University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ai Hasegawa
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shinya Sakai
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Keise Izuma
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.,School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
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Strahler J, Kruse O, Wehrum-Osinsky S, Klucken T, Stark R. Neural correlates of gender differences in distractibility by sexual stimuli. Neuroimage 2018; 176:499-509. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Autistic traits modulate the activity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in response to female faces. Neurosci Res 2017; 133:28-37. [PMID: 29141188 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous findings have revealed abnormal visual attention or processing of faces among individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC). However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between autistic traits and neural mechanisms associated with representing facial values. Using fMRI, we investigated the patterns of brain activity in the vmPFC and VS in response to faces of elderly males, elderly females, young males, and young females. During fMRI, subjects with a relatively high autism quotient (high group) and those with a relatively low autism quotient (low group) were presented with a face and asked to rate its pleasantness. After fMRI, the subjects were presented with pairs of faces and asked to select the face that they preferred. Our results indicate a dissociable modulatory effect of autistic traits on the vmPFC and VS: The vmPFC activity in the low group was more sensitive to age differences in female faces compared to that in the high group, whereas VS activity did not show differences between groups. These results suggest that, in the BVS, autistic traits selectively modulate the vmPFC activity associated with facial value representation.
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Wernicke M, Hofter C, Jordan K, Fromberger P, Dechent P, Müller JL. Neural correlates of subliminally presented visual sexual stimuli. Conscious Cogn 2017; 49:35-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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