双侧梭状回面孔区在面孔加工中的功能分工与协作

梭状回面孔区(fusiform face area,FFA)是视觉皮层上专门加工面孔的区域。然而,双侧FFA在面孔加工中的功能分工与协作还存在争议。在特异性刺激的加工上,右侧FFA主要负责人类面孔类别的知觉,而左侧FFA的功能与面孔精细特征的感知有关;在皮层可塑性上,右侧FFA主要参与青少年的社会适应学习,而左侧FFA负责成年人的知觉学习;在面孔网络中,二者与不同区域的连接用以适应不同的认知需求;他们之间的有向协作具有任务特定性。未来研究需要回答三个问题:左侧FFA的可塑性程度及这一可塑性是否是认知特定的、左侧FFA及其形成的网络连接的认知意义,双侧FFA在面孔网络中的连接有向性等问题。

The functional specialization and collaboration of the bilateral fusiform face areas

The fusiform face area (FFA) is a sub-region of the human visual cortex, which is highly selective to faces relative to other objects. However, there are controversies about the functional specialization and collaboration of the bilateral FFAs. In terms of the processing of specific stimuli, the right FFA is responsible for perceiving face categories while the left FFA is tuned to fine facial features. As for cerebral plasticity, the normal development of the right FFA underlines the teenager’s social capacity and perceptual learning while the left FFA contributes to face learning in adults. Within the face perception network, the bilateral FFAs link to different cortices in order to perform various cognitive functions. The directions of collaboration are tasks contingent. Three questions deserve further examinations: (1) What is the extent of plasticity of the left FFA and whether this plasticity is cognitively specific? (2) What is the cognitive implication of the left FFA and how does it connect with other brain areas; (3) What are the directional patterns of connectivity within the facial network.