The selectivity of the occipitotemporal M170 for faces

Evidence from fMRI, ERPs and intracranial recordings suggests the existence of face-specific mechanisms in the primate occipitotemporal cortex. The pr esent study used a 64-channel MEG system to monitor neural activity while n ormal subjects viewed a sequence of grayscale photographs of a variety of u nfamiliar faces and non-face stimuli. In 14 of 15 subjects, face stimuli ev oked a larger response than non-face stimuli at a latency of 160 ms after s timulus onset at bilateral occipitotemporal sensors. Inverted face stimuli elicited responses that were no different in amplitude but 13 ms later in l atency than upright faces. The profile of this M170 response across stimulu s conditions is largely consistent with prior results using scalp and subdu ral ERPs. NeuroReport 11:337-341 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.