MEG reveals how the brain processes face-like images

A brain imaging technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG) has identified a neural network that plays a key role in face pareidolia – a tendency to see faces in nonface images, according to neuroscientists in Germany. The finding provides a framework for further research in patients with mental and neurological conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease, noted study lead Marina Pavlova, PhD, of Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. “Gaining knowledge about the specific patterns of possible alterations in brain communication in these patient populations will provide unique insights into the origins of social cognition deficits,” the group wrote. The study was published April 8 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MEG is a noninvasive brain imaging technique that visualizes gamma oscillations, which are rhythmic patterns of neural activity, the authors explained. Gamma oscillations above 30 Hz are linked to a wide range of cognitive abilities, such as working memory and selective attention, and also underpin processing of social signals such as faces, they added. The authors explored several questions, such as “What happens in the brain during face pareidolia?” and “Is processing of face-like images similar to that of faces?” They noted that to date, studies on the brain networks involved in face pareidolia are sparse and the outcomes have been controversial. Thus, in this study, the group used ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: MRI Advanced Visualization Source Type: news