Neuronal Representation of Faces in the Inferior Temporal Cortex of Monkeys

• Project/Area Number: 16500260
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology and muscle physiology
• Research Institution: University of Toyama (2005-2006); Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University (2004)
• Principal Investigator: EIFUKU Satoshi University of Toyama, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, Associate Professor, 医学薬学研究部, 准教授 (70262508)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAMURA Ryoi University of Toyama, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical University, Professor, 医学薬学研究部, 教授 (60227296)
• Project Period (FY): 2004 – 2006
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2006)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,900,000); Fiscal Year 2006: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000); Fiscal Year 2005: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000); Fiscal Year 2004: ¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
• Keywords: Neuronal activity / Primate / Inferior temporal cortex / Superior temporal sulcus / Face recognition / Identity / Long-term memory / Short-term memory / 検索 / 展望的記憶方略 / 回顧的記憶方略 / サル / 展望的符号化 / 回顧的符号化 / 想起

Research Abstract

To investigate the neuronal basis underlying face identification, the activity of face neurons in the anterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) and the anterior inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) of macaque monkeys was analyzed during their performance of a face-identification task. The face space was composed by the activities of face neurons during the face-identification task, based on a multidimensional scaling (MDS) method ; the face space composed by the anterior STS neurons represented facial views, whereas that composed by the anterior ITG neurons represented facial identity. The temporal correlation between the behavioral reaction time of the animal and the latency of face-related neuronal responses was also analyzed. The response latency of some of the face neurons in the anterior ITG exhibited a significant correlation with the behavioral reaction time, whereas this correlation was not significant in the anterior STS. The correlation of the latency of face-related neuronal responses in the anterior ITG with the behavioral reaction time was not found to be attributed to the correlation between the response latency and the magnitude of the neuronal responses. The present results suggest that the anterior ITG is closely related to judgments of facial identity, and that the anterior STS is closely related to analyses of incoming perceptual information ; face identification in monkeys might involve interactions between the two areas.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Neural correlates of stimulus-reward association in the rat mediodorsal thalamus. (2007)
  • Author(s): Kawagoe, T., Tamura, R., Uwano, T., Asahi, T., Nishijo, H., Eifuku, S., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Neuroreport 18 Pages: 683-688
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Neural correlates of stimulus-reward association in the rat mediodorsal thalamus. (2007)
  • Author(s): Kawagoe, T., Tamura, R., Uwano, T., Asahi, T., Nishijo, H., Eifuku, S., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Neuroreport (in press)
• [Journal Article] Spatial Firing Properties of Lateral Septal Neurons. (2006)
  • Author(s): Takamura, Y., Tamura, R., Zhou, T.L., Kobayashi, T., Tran, A.H., Eifuku, S., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Hippocampus 16(8) Pages: 635-644
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Neuronal responses to a delayed-response delayed-reward go/nogo task in the monkey posterior insular cortex. (2006)
  • Author(s): Asahi, T., Uwano, T., Eifuku, S., Tamura, R., Endo, S., Ono, T., Nishijo H.
  • Journal Title: Neuroscience 143(2) Pages: 627-639
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Spatial firing properties of lateral septal neurons. (2006)
  • Author(s): Takamura, Y., Tamura, R., Zhou, T.L., Kobayashi, T., Tran, A.H., Eifuku, S., Ono T.
  • Journal Title: Hippocampus. 16(8) Pages: 635-644
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Neuronal responses to a delayed-response delayed-reward go/nogo task in the monkey posterior insular cortex. (2006)
  • Author(s): Asahi, T., Uwano, T., Eifuku, S., Tamura, R., Endo, S., Ono, T., Nishijo H.
  • Journal Title: Neuroscience. 143(2) Pages: 627-639
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Spatial Firing Properties of Lateral Septal Neurons. (2006)
  • Author(s): Takamura, Y., Tamura, R., Zhou, T.L.., Kobayashi, T., Tran, A.H., Eifuku, S., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Hippocampus 16(8) Pages: 635-644
• [Journal Article] Different characteristics of face neuronal responses within the anterior superior temporal sulcus of macaques. (2005)
  • Author(s): De Souza W.C., Eifuku S., Tamura R., Nishijo H., Ono T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neurophysiology 94(2) Pages: 1251-1266
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Different characteristics of face neuronal responses within the anterior superior temporal sulcus of macaques. (2005)
  • Author(s): De Souza W.C., Eifuku S., Tamura R., Nishijo H., Ono T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neurophysiology. 94(2) Pages: 1251-1266
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Differential characteristics of face neuron responses within the anterior superior temporal sulcus of macaques. (2005)
  • Author(s): De Souza, W.C., Eifuku, S., Tamura, R., Nishijo, H., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neurophysiology 94(2) Pages: 1252-1266
• [Journal Article] Neuronal correlates of face identification in the monkey anterior temporal cortical areas. (2004)
  • Author(s): Eifuku, S., De Souza, W.C., Tamura, R., Nishijo, H., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neurophysiology 91(1) Pages: 358-371
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Neuronal correlates of face identification in the monkey anterior temporal cortical areas. (2004)
  • Author(s): Eifuku, S., De Souza, WC., Tamura, R., Nishijo, H., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neurophysiology. 91(1) Pages: 358-371
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Differential characteristics ef face neuron responses within the anterior superior temporal sulcus of macaques
  • Author(s): De Souza, W.C., Eifuku, S., Tamura, R., Nishijo, H., Ono, T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Neurophysiology (印刷中)