J4 ›› 2011, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 69-75.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-2400.2011.03.012

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Investigation of effective connectivity of the illusory face detection network based on nonlinear dynamic causal models analysis

LI Jun 1,2;ZHAO Jizheng 1,2;FENG Lu 3;SHI Guangming 2;LIANG Jimin 1
  

  1. (1. School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian Univ., Xi'an   710071, China|
    2. School of Electronic Engineering, Xidian Univ., Xi'an   710071, China
    3. Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing  100190, China)
  • Received:2010-04-15 Online:2011-06-20 Published:2011-07-14
  • Contact: LI Jun E-mail:lijun@life.xidian.edu.cn

Abstract:

In order to extract the activation patterns of top-down face processing, the present study uses an experimental paradigm in which participants detect illusory faces in pure noise images. The nonlinear dynamic causal models (DCM) analysis, which has a perfect neural theory foundation, is used to investigate the effective connectivity of the illusory face detection network under the top-down processing mechanism. The optimal network model indicates that the occipital face area (OFA) serves as a key generator of illusory face detection. Under directing top-down visual attention exerted by the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), OFA searches for the pure noise images for face-like features, and then provides those face-like feature information to the fusiform face area(FFA) for further holistic face processing.

Key words: nonlinear analysis, dynamic causal model (DCM), neural network, top-down, effective connectivity