Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines data from developmental functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) studies to contribute to the unresolved issue whether the face-sensitive cortical regions in the ventral stream are specialized for faces as a stimulus category, and whether such specialization is determined by expertise or maturation.The developmental fMRI studies reviewed indicate that face-stimulated activity leads to increases in the extent of specialization and localization in the cortex during development.This challenges a maturational framework prediction that face perception in the child's brain is restricted to specialized neural modules that can be activated by faces in adults.Instead, it is argued that the evidence examined in this paper supports both the expertise hypothesis and interactive specialization as plausible frameworks to relate face perception abilities to brain development.
Author: Simon van Rysewyk
Institution: University of Tasmania
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2143055224