Primates are known for their exceptional ability to recognize faces. However, we still have much to learn about how their brains process faces when they are partially hidden. When we cover parts of a face, it affects how our brains respond, even though we still perceive the face as a whole. This suggests that complex brain networks are at work in understanding partially hidden faces. To explore this further, we studied two brain regions, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and the inferior temporal cortex (ITC), while showing primate images of faces with parts occluded. We found that vlPFC neurons were more active when faces were partially covered, while ITC neurons preferred fully visible faces. Interestingly, the ITC seemed to process occluded faces in a separate phase after the vlPFC responded. Our research revealed a coordinated effort between these brain regions based on the level of facial obstruction. Specifically, the vlPFC seemed to play a crucial role, driving the representation of occluded faces in the later phase of ITC processing. Importantly, we also found that the brain processes occluded faces differently from those that are fully visible, suggesting specialized mechanisms for handling these situations. These findings highlight the importance of feedback from the vlPFC in understanding occluded faces in the ITC region of the brain. Understanding these neural processes not only enhances our understanding of how primates perceive faces but also provides insights into broader aspects of visual cognition.

中文翻译：

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额颞叶网络对遮挡人脸处理的贡献


灵长类动物以其非凡的识别面孔的能力而闻名。然而，当他们的大脑部分隐藏时，我们仍然有很多东西需要了解。当我们遮盖面部的某些部分时，它会影响我们的大脑反应，即使我们仍然将面部视为一个整体。这表明复杂的大脑网络正在理解部分隐藏的面孔。为了进一步探索这一点，我们研究了两个大脑区域，腹外侧前额叶皮层 （vlPFC） 和下颞叶皮层 （ITC），同时展示了部分被遮挡的面部的灵长类动物图像。我们发现，当面部被部分覆盖时，vlPFC 神经元更加活跃，而 ITC 神经元更喜欢完全可见的面部。有趣的是，在 vlPFC 响应后，ITC 似乎在单独的阶段处理被遮挡的人脸。我们的研究揭示了这些大脑区域之间基于面部阻塞程度的协调努力。具体来说，vlPFC 似乎起着至关重要的作用，在 ITC 处理的后期推动了遮挡面的表示。重要的是，我们还发现大脑处理被遮挡的面孔与处理完全可见的面孔不同，这表明处理这些情况的特殊机制。这些发现强调了 vlPFC 的反馈在理解大脑 ITC 区域中被遮挡的面孔方面的重要性。了解这些神经过程不仅可以增强我们对灵长类动物如何感知面部的理解，还可以深入了解视觉认知的更广泛方面。