Gender differences in hemispheric asymmetry for face processing.
BMC Neurosci
; 7: 44, 2006 Jun 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16762056
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Current cognitive neuroscience models predict a right-hemispheric dominance for face processing in humans. However, neuroimaging and electromagnetic data in the literature provide conflicting evidence of a right-sided brain asymmetry for decoding the structural properties of faces. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this inconsistency might be due to gender differences in hemispheric asymmetry.RESULTS:
In this study, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 40 healthy, strictly right-handed individuals (20 women and 20 men) while they observed infants' faces expressing a variety of emotions. Early face-sensitive P1 and N1 responses to neutral vs. affective expressions were measured over the occipital/temporal cortices, and the responses were analyzed according to viewer gender. Along with a strong right hemispheric dominance for men, the results showed a lack of asymmetry for face processing in the amplitude of the occipito-temporal N1 response in women to both neutral and affective faces.CONCLUSION:
Men showed an asymmetric functioning of visual cortex while decoding faces and expressions, whereas women showed a more bilateral functioning. These results indicate the importance of gender effects in the lateralization of the occipito-temporal response during the processing of face identity, structure, familiarity, or affective content.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos
/
Caracteres Sexuais
/
Reconhecimento Psicológico
/
Expressão Facial
/
Lateralidade Funcional
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Neurosci
Assunto da revista:
NEUROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2006
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália