Symmetric in the striate but asymmetric in the extrastriate cortex when processing three-quarter faces: Neural underpinnings for aesthetic appreciations

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00023752%3A_____%2F22%3A43920864" target="_blank" >RIV/00023752:_____/22:43920864 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11120/22:43923298

Result on the web

<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pchj.539" target="_blank" >https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pchj.539</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pchj.539" target="_blank" >10.1002/pchj.539</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Symmetric in the striate but asymmetric in the extrastriate cortex when processing three-quarter faces: Neural underpinnings for aesthetic appreciations

Original language description

Faces and their aesthetic appreciation are a core element of social interaction. Although studies have been made on facial processing when looking at faces with different perspectives, a direct comparison of faces in the left to the right perspective is missing. Portraits in classical Western art indicate a preference of the left compared to the right perspective, but the neural underpinnings of such an asymmetry still have to be clarified. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the current study focuses on the processing of three-quarter faces seen with different perspectives. Seventeen participants were asked to passively look at photographs of six male and six female faces with a neutral expression; the photographs were taken from the left, right, and frontal perspectives while keeping their focus on the eyes. The results showed that specific brain areas were involved in processing the three-quarter faces in either symmetric or asymmetric ways. Viewing left and right three-quarter faces resulted in two mirror-like activations in the striate cortex corresponding to the symmetric layout of the left and right perspectives. Viewing the left face resulted additionally in an enhanced activation also in the left extrastriate cortex. The right perspective of male faces elicited a lower activation compared to other perspectives in face-selective areas of the brain. Our findings suggest that the preference of the left three-quarter face emerges already in the early visual pathway presumably prior to facial identification, emotional processing, and aesthetic appreciation. Our observations may have general importance in disentangling different neural components and processing stages in the spatiotemporal characteristics of artistic expressions.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

30103 - Neurosciences (including psychophysiology)

Project

—

Continuities

V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

PsyCh Journal

ISSN

2046-0252

e-ISSN

2046-0260

Volume of the periodical

11

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

AU - AUSTRALIA

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

720-728

UT code for WoS article

000776294300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85127424458