1
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Nørkær E, Gobbo S, Roald T, Starrfelt R. Disentangling developmental prosopagnosia: A scoping review of terms, tools and topics. Cortex 2024; 176:161-193. [PMID: 38795651 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The goal of this preregistered scoping review is to create an overview of the research on developmental prosopagnosia (DP). Through analysis of all empirical studies of DP in adults, we investigate 1) how DP is conceptualized and defined, 2) how individuals are classified with DP and 3) which aspects of DP are investigated in the literature. We reviewed 224 peer-reviewed studies of DP. Our analysis of the literature reveals that while DP is predominantly defined as a lifelong face recognition impairment in the absence of acquired brain injury and intellectual/cognitive problems, there is far from consensus on the specifics of the definition with some studies emphasizing e.g., deficits in face perception, discrimination and/or matching as core characteristics of DP. These differences in DP definitions is further reflected in the vast heterogeneity in classification procedures. Only about half of the included studies explicitly state how they classify individuals with DP, and these studies adopt 40 different assessment tools. The two most frequently studied aspects of DP are the role of holistic processing and the specificity of face processing, and alongside a substantial body of neuroimaging studies of DP, this paints a picture of a research field whose scientific interests and aims are rooted in cognitive neuropsychology and neuroscience. We argue that these roots - alongside the heterogeneity in DP definition and classification - may have limited the scope and interest of DP research unnecessarily, and we point to new avenues of research for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erling Nørkær
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Silvia Gobbo
- Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Tone Roald
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Volfart A, Rossion B. The neuropsychological evaluation of face identity recognition. Neuropsychologia 2024; 198:108865. [PMID: 38522782 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Facial identity recognition (FIR) is arguably the ultimate form of recognition for the adult human brain. Even if the term prosopagnosia is reserved for exceptionally rare brain-damaged cases with a category-specific abrupt loss of FIR at adulthood, subjective and objective impairments or difficulties of FIR are common in the neuropsychological population. Here we provide a critical overview of the evaluation of FIR both for clinicians and researchers in neuropsychology. FIR impairments occur following many causes that should be identified objectively by both general and specific, behavioral and neural examinations. We refute the commonly used dissociation between perceptual and memory deficits/tests for FIR, since even a task involving the discrimination of unfamiliar face images presented side-by-side relies on cortical memories of faces in the right-lateralized ventral occipito-temporal cortex. Another frequently encountered confusion is between specific deficits of the FIR function and a more general impairment of semantic memory (of people), the latter being most often encountered following anterior temporal lobe damage. Many computerized tests aimed at evaluating FIR have appeared over the last two decades, as reviewed here. However, despite undeniable strengths, they often suffer from ecological limitations, difficulties of instruction, as well as a lack of consideration for processing speed and qualitative information. Taking into account these issues, a recently developed behavioral test with natural images manipulating face familiarity, stimulus inversion, and correct response times as a key variable appears promising. The measurement of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in the frequency domain from fast periodic visual stimulation also appears as a particularly promising tool to complete and enhance the neuropsychological assessment of FIR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Volfart
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Australia; Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IMoPA, F-54000, Nancy, France.
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3
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Lowes J, Hancock PJB, Bobak AK. A new way of classifying developmental prosopagnosia: Balanced Integration Score. Cortex 2024; 172:159-184. [PMID: 38330779 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Despite severe everyday problems recognising faces, some individuals with developmental prosopagnosia (DP) can achieve typical accuracy scores on laboratory face recognition tests. To address this, studies sometimes also examine response times (RTs), which tend to be longer in DPs relative to control participants. In the present study, 24 potential (according to self-report) DPs and 110 age-matched controls completed the Cambridge Face and Bicycle Memory Tests, old new faces task, and a famous faces test. We used accuracy and the Balanced Integration Score (BIS), a measure that adjusts accuracy for RTs, to classify our sample at the group and individual levels. Subjective face recognition ability was assessed using the PI20 questionnaire and semi structured interviews. Fifteen DPs showed a major impairment using BIS compared with only five using accuracy alone. Logistic regression showed that a model incorporating the BIS measures was the most sensitive for classifying DP and showed highest area under the curve (AUC). Furthermore, larger between-group effect sizes were observed for a derived global (averaged) memory measure calculated using BIS versus accuracy alone. BIS is thus an extremely sensitive novel measure for attenuating speed-accuracy trade-offs that can otherwise mask impairment measured only by accuracy in DP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Lowes
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, United Kingdom.
| | - Peter J B Hancock
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Anna K Bobak
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, United Kingdom
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4
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The Danish Version of the 20-Item Prosopagnosia Index (PI20): Translation, Validation and a Link to Face Perception. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020337. [PMID: 36831880 PMCID: PMC9954571 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by face recognition problems. Psychometrically sound self-report measures of face recognition problems are important tools in classification of DP. A widely used measure of such problems is the 20-item prosopagnosia index (PI20). Here, we present a Danish translation of the PI20 (PI20DK). We administered the PI20DK alongside three objective measures of face and object processing performance to 119 participants to validate the PI20DK. Further, we assess the underlying factor structure of the PI20DK. Finally, as the first study in the field, we investigate the association between self-reported face recognition ability and face perception performance. The project was preregistered prior to data collection. The results suggest excellent convergent validity, discriminant validity and internal consistency for the PI20DK. A confirmatory factor analysis, however, indicates a suboptimal fit of the PI20DK to a one factor solution. An investigation of the association between the PI20DK and face perception suggests that the poor fit may reflect that the PI20DK measures problems with face recognition in general and not specifically face memory problems.
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5
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Gerlach C, Barton JJS, Albonico A, Malaspina M, Starrfelt R. Contrasting domain-general and domain-specific accounts in cognitive neuropsychology: An outline of a new approach with developmental prosopagnosia as a case. Behav Res Methods 2022; 54:2829-2842. [PMID: 35106730 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01774-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The backbone of cognitive neuropsychology is the observation of (double) dissociations in performance between patients, suggesting some degree of independence between cognitive processes (domain specificity). In comparison, observations of associations between disorders/deficits have been deemed less evidential in neuropsychological theorizing about cognitive architecture. The reason is that associations can reflect damage to independent cognitive processes that happen to be mediated by structures commonly affected by the same brain disorder rather than damage to a shared (domain-general) mechanism. Here we demonstrate that it is in principle possible to discriminate between these alternatives by means of a procedure involving large unbiased samples. We exemplify the procedure in the context of developmental prosopagnosia (DP), but the procedure is in principle applicable to all neuropsychological deficits/disorders. A simulation of the procedure on a dataset yields estimates of dissociations/associations that are well in line with existing DP-studies, and also suggests that seemingly selective disorders can reflect damage to both domain-general and domain-specific cognitive processes. However, the simulation also highlights some limitations that should be considered if the procedure is to be applied prospectively. The main advantage of the procedure is that allows for examination of both associations and dissociations in the same sample. Hence, it may help even the balance in the use of associations and dissociations as grounds for neuropsychological theorizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gerlach
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Jason J S Barton
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Andrea Albonico
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Manuela Malaspina
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Randi Starrfelt
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
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6
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Schroeger A, Kaufmann JM, Zäske R, Kovács G, Klos T, Schweinberger SR. Atypical prosopagnosia following right hemispheric stroke: A 23-year follow-up study with M.T. Cogn Neuropsychol 2022; 39:196-207. [PMID: 36202621 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2022.2119838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Most findings on prosopagnosia to date suggest preserved voice recognition in prosopagnosia (except in cases with bilateral lesions). Here we report a follow-up examination on M.T., suffering from acquired prosopagnosia following a large unilateral right-hemispheric lesion in frontal, parietal, and anterior temporal areas excluding core ventral occipitotemporal face areas. Twenty-three years after initial testing we reassessed face and object recognition skills [Henke, K., Schweinberger, S. R., Grigo, A., Klos, T., & Sommer, W. (1998). Specificity of face recognition: Recognition of exemplars of non-face objects in prosopagnosia. Cortex, 34(2), 289-296]; [Schweinberger, S. R., Klos, T., & Sommer, W. (1995). Covert face recognition in prosopagnosia - A dissociable function? Cortex, 31(3), 517-529] and additionally studied voice recognition. Confirming the persistence of deficits, M.T. exhibited substantial impairments in famous face recognition and memory for learned faces, but preserved face matching and object recognition skills. Critically, he showed substantially impaired voice recognition skills. These findings are congruent with the ideas that (i) prosopagnosia after right anterior temporal lesions can persist over long periods > 20 years, and that (ii) such lesions can be associated with both facial and vocal deficits in person recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schroeger
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.,Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.,Department for the Psychology of Human Movement and Sport, Institute of Sport Science, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen M Kaufmann
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.,DFG Research Unit Person Perception, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Romi Zäske
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.,DFG Research Unit Person Perception, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Gyula Kovács
- DFG Research Unit Person Perception, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.,Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neurosciences, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Stefan R Schweinberger
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.,DFG Research Unit Person Perception, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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7
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DeGutis J, Li X, Yosef B, Mishra MV. Not so fast! Response times in the computerized Benton Face Recognition Test may not reflect face recognition ability. Cogn Neuropsychol 2022; 39:155-169. [PMID: 36202620 PMCID: PMC9557987 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2022.2114824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Response times (RTs) are commonly used to assess cognitive abilities, though it is unclear whether face processing RTs predict recognition ability beyond accuracy. In the current study, we examined accuracy and RT on a widely used face matching assessment modified to collect meaningful RT data, the computerized Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFRT-c), and measured whether RTs predicted face recognition ability and developmental prosopagnosia (DP) vs. control group membership. 62 controls and 36 DPs performed the BFRT-c as well as validated measures of face recognition ability: the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) and a Famous Faces Memory Test (FFMT). In controls, BFRT-c accuracy robustly predicted CFMT (r = .49, p < .001), FFMT (r = .43, p < .001), and a CFMT-FFMT composite (r = .54, p < .001), whereas BFRT-c RT was not significantly associated with these measures (all r's .21). We also found that BFRT-c accuracy significantly differed between DPs and controls, but RT failed to differentiate the groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DeGutis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical school, Boston,
MA, USA.,Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston
Healthcare, Jamaica Plain Division, 150 S Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xian Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical school, Boston,
MA, USA.,Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston
Healthcare, Jamaica Plain Division, 150 S Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns
Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bar Yosef
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical school, Boston,
MA, USA.,Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston
Healthcare, Jamaica Plain Division, 150 S Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maruti V. Mishra
- Active Perception Lab, Center for Visual Science,
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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8
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Mishra MV, Fry RM, Saad E, Arizpe JM, Ohashi YGB, DeGutis JM. Comparing the sensitivity of face matching assessments to detect face perception impairments. Neuropsychologia 2021; 163:108067. [PMID: 34673046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Numerous neurological, developmental, and psychiatric conditions demonstrate impaired face recognition, which can be socially debilitating. These impairments can be caused by either deficient face perception or face memory mechanisms. Though there are well-validated, sensitive measures of face memory impairments, it currently remains unclear which assessments best measure face perception impairments. A sensitive, validated face perception measure could help with diagnosing causes of face recognition deficits and be useful in characterizing individual differences in unimpaired populations. Here, we compared the computerized Benton Face Recognition Test (BFRT-c) and Cambridge Face Perception Test (CFPT) in their ability to differentiate developmental prosopagnosics (DPs, N = 30) and age-matched controls (N = 30). Participants completed the BFRT-c, CFPT, and two additional face perception assessments: the University of Southern California Face Perception Test (USCFPT) and a novel same/different face matching test (SDFMT). Participants were also evaluated on objective and subjective face recognition tasks including the Cambridge Face Memory Test, famous faces test, and Prosopagnosia Index-20. We performed a logistic regression with the perception tests predicting DP vs. control group membership and used multiple linear regressions to predict continuous objective and subjective face recognition memory. Our results show that the BFRT-c performed as well as, if not better than, the CFPT, and that both tests clearly outperformed the USCFPT and SDFMT. Further, exploratory analyses revealed that face lighting-change conditions better predicted DP group membership and face recognition abilities than viewpoint-change conditions. Together, these results support the combined use of the BFRT-c and CFPT to best assess face perception impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maruti V Mishra
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare, Jamaica Plain Division, 150 S Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Regan M Fry
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare, Jamaica Plain Division, 150 S Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elyana Saad
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph M Arizpe
- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuri-Grace B Ohashi
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Decision Science Laboratory, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joseph M DeGutis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare, Jamaica Plain Division, 150 S Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Passarelli M, Masini M, Chiorri C, Nurcis A, Daini R, Bracco F. Implicit evidence on the dissociation of identity and emotion recognition. Cogn Process 2021; 23:79-90. [PMID: 34618254 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-021-01061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recognition of identity and of emotional facial expressions of individuals are both based on processing of the human face. While most studies show these abilities to be dissociated, some others find evidence of a connection. One possible explanation for these contradictory results comes from neurological evidence, which points to identity recognition being mostly based on holistic processing, while emotion recognition seems to be based on both an explicit, fine-grained process, and an implicit, mostly-holistic one. Our main hypothesis, that would explain the contradictory findings, is that holistic implicit emotion recognition, specifically, would be related to identity recognition, while explicit emotion recognition would be a process separate to identity recognition. To test this hypothesis, we employed an experimental paradigm in which spatial frequencies of visual stimuli are manipulated so that automatic, holistic-based, implicit emotion recognition influences perceived friendliness of unfamiliar faces. We predicted the effect to be related to identity recognition ability, since they both require holistic face processing. After a successful replication study, we employed the paradigm with 140 participants, measuring also identity recognition ability and explicit emotion recognition ability. Results showed that the effect is not moderated by these two variables (p = .807 and .373, respectively), suggesting that the independence of identity and emotion recognition holds even when considering, specifically, implicit emotion recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Passarelli
- ITD - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via de Marini 6, 16149, Genova, Italy.
| | - Michele Masini
- V.I.E. (Valorizzazione Innovazione Empowerment), Viale Brigata Bisagno 12/4, 16129, Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiorri
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Genova, Corso Andrea Podestà 2, 16139, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Nurcis
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Genova, Corso Andrea Podestà 2, 16139, Genova, Italy
| | - Roberta Daini
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bracco
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Genova, Corso Andrea Podestà 2, 16139, Genova, Italy
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10
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Pavlova MA, Romagnano V, Fallgatter AJ, Sokolov AN. Face pareidolia in the brain: Impact of gender and orientation. PLoS One 2021; 15:e0244516. [PMID: 33382767 PMCID: PMC7774913 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on face sensitivity is of particular relevance during the rapidly evolving Covid-19 pandemic leading to social isolation, but also calling for intact interaction and sharing. Humans possess high sensitivity even to a coarse face scheme, seeing faces in non-face images where real faces do not exist. The advantage of non-face images is that single components do not trigger face processing. Here by implementing a novel set of Face-n-Thing images, we examined (i) how face tuning alters with changing display orientation, and (ii) whether it is affected by observers’ gender. Young females and males were presented with a set of Face-n-Thing images either with canonical upright orientation or inverted 180° in the image plane. Face impression was substantially impeded by display inversion. Furthermore, whereas with upright display orientation, no gender differences were found, with inversion, Face-n-Thing images elicited face impression in females significantly more often. The outcome sheds light on the origins of the face inversion effect in general. Moreover, the findings open a way for examination of face sensitivity and underwriting brain networks in neuropsychiatric conditions related to the current pandemic (such as depression and anxiety), most of which are gender/sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A. Pavlova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Valentina Romagnano
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas J. Fallgatter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Medical School and University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander N. Sokolov
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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11
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Piretti L, Pappaianni E, Lunardelli A, Zorzenon I, Ukmar M, Pesavento V, Rumiati RI, Job R, Grecucci A. The Role of Amygdala in Self-Conscious Emotions in a Patient With Acquired Bilateral Damage. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:677. [PMID: 32733192 PMCID: PMC7360725 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Shame plays a fundamental role in the regulation of our social behavior. One intriguing question is whether amygdala might play a role in processing this emotion. In the present single-case study, we tested a patient with acquired damage of bilateral amygdalae and surrounding areas as well as healthy controls on shame processing and other social cognitive tasks. Results revealed that the patient's subjective experience of shame, but not of guilt, was more reduced than in controls, only when social standards were violated, while it was not different than controls in case of moral violations. The impairment in discriminating between normal social situations and violations also emerged. Taken together, these findings suggest that the role of the amygdala in processing shame might reflect its relevance in resolving ambiguity and uncertainty, in order to correctly detect social violations and to generate shame feelings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Piretti
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Marica De Vincenzi Onlus Foundation, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Edoardo Pappaianni
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Irene Zorzenon
- Radiology Department, Ospedali Riuniti di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maja Ukmar
- Radiology Department, Ospedali Riuniti di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Ida Rumiati
- Neuroscience and Society Lab, Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Remo Job
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Marica De Vincenzi Onlus Foundation, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandro Grecucci
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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12
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Djouab S, Albonico A, Yeung SC, Malaspina M, Mogard A, Wahlberg R, Corrow SL, Barton JJS. Search for Face Identity or Expression: Set Size Effects in Developmental Prosopagnosia. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:889-905. [PMID: 31905091 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The set size effect during visual search indexes the effects of processing load and thus the efficiency of perceptual mechanisms. Our goal was to investigate whether individuals with developmental prosopagnosia show increased set size effects when searching faces for face identity and how this compares to search for face expression. We tested 29 healthy individuals and 13 individuals with developmental prosopagnosia. Participants were shown sets of three to seven faces to judge whether the identities or expressions of the faces were the same across all stimuli or if one differed. The set size effect was the slope of the linear regression between the number of faces in the array and the response time. Accuracy was similar in both controls and prosopagnosic participants. Developmental prosopagnosic participants displayed increased set size effects in face identity search but not in expression search. Single-participant analyses reveal that 11 developmental prosopagnosic participants showed a putative classical dissociation, with impairments in identity but not expression search. Signal detection theory analysis showed that identity set size effects were highly reliable in discriminating prosopagnosic participants from controls. Finally, the set size ratios of same to different trials were consistent with the predictions of self-terminated serial search models for control participants and prosopagnosic participants engaged in expression search but deviated from those predictions for identity search by the prosopagnosic cohort. We conclude that the face set size effect reveals a highly prevalent and selective perceptual inefficiency for processing face identity in developmental prosopagnosia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Djouab
- University of British Columbia.,University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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13
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Hemström J, Albonico A, Djouab S, Barton JJS. Visual search for complex objects: Set-size effects for faces, words and cars. Vision Res 2019; 162:8-19. [PMID: 31233767 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2019.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
To compare visual processing for different object types, we developed visual search tests that generated accuracy and response time parameters, including an object set-size effect that indexes perceptual processing load. Our goal was to compare visual search for two expert object types, faces and visual words, as well as a less expert type, cars. We first asked if faces and words showed greater inversion effects in search. Second, we determined whether search with upright stimuli correlated with other perceptual indices. Last we assessed for correlations between tests within a single orientation, and between orientations for a single object type. Object set-size effects were smaller for faces and words than cars. All accuracy and temporal measures showed an inversion effect for faces and words, but not cars. Face-search accuracy measures correlated with accuracy on the Cambridge Face Memory Test and word-search temporal measures correlated with single-word reading times, but car search did not correlate with semantic car knowledge. There were cross-orientation correlations for all object types, as well as cross-object correlations in the inverted orientation, while in the upright orientation face search did not correlate with word or car search. We conclude that object search shows effects of expertise. Compared to cars, words and faces showed smaller object set-size effects, greater inversion effects, and their search results correlated with other indices of perceptual expertise. The correlation analyses provide preliminary evidence supporting contributions from common processes in the case of inverted stimuli, object-specific processes that operate in both orientations, and distinct processing for upright faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Hemström
- Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Andrea Albonico
- Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sarra Djouab
- Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Jason J S Barton
- Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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14
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Malaspina M, Albonico A, Daini R. Self-face and self-body advantages in congenital prosopagnosia: evidence for a common mechanism. Exp Brain Res 2018; 237:673-686. [PMID: 30542755 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-5452-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Prosopagnosia is a disorder leading to difficulties in recognizing faces. However, recent evidence suggests that individuals with congenital prosopagnosia can achieve considerable accuracy when they have to recognize their own faces (self-face advantage). Yet, whether this advantage is face-specific or not is still unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate whether individuals with congenial prosopagnosia show a self-advantage also in recognizing other self body-parts and, if so, whether the advantage for the body parts differs from the one characterizing the self-face. Eight individuals with congenital prosopagnosia and 22 controls underwent a delayed matching task in which they were required to recognize faces, hands and feet belonging to the self or to others. Controls showed a similar self-advantage for all the stimuli tested; by contrast, individuals with congenital prosopagnosia showed a larger self-advantage with faces compared to hands and feet, mainly driven by their deficit with others' faces. In both groups the self-advantages for the different body parts were strongly and significantly correlated. Our data suggest that the self-face advantage showed by individuals with congenital prosopagnosia is not face-specific and that the same mechanism could be responsible for both the self-face and self body-part advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Malaspina
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, VGH Eye Care Centre, University of British Columbia, 2550 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 3N9, Canada.
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy.
| | - Andrea Albonico
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, VGH Eye Care Centre, University of British Columbia, 2550 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 3N9, Canada
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberta Daini
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
- Psychology Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
- COMiB-Optics and Optometry Research Center, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
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15
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Normative accuracy and response time data for the computerized Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFRT-c). Behav Res Methods 2018; 50:2442-2460. [DOI: 10.3758/s13428-018-1023-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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16
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News on the journal Neurological Sciences in 2017. Neurol Sci 2018; 39:15-21. [PMID: 29327225 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-017-3241-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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