Electrophysiological correlates of recollecting faces of known and unknownindividuals

We recorded brain potentials from healthy human subjects during a recogniti on test in order to monitor neural processing associated with face recollec tion. Subjects first attempted to memorize 40 faces; half were accompanied by a voice simulating that person speaking (e.g., "I'm Jimmy and I was a ro adie for the Grateful Dead") and half were presented in silence. In the tes t phase, subjects attempted to discriminate both types of old faces (i.e,, "named" and "unnamed" faces) from new faces. Recognition averaged 87% corre ct for named faces, 74% correct for unnamed faces, and 91% correct for new faces. Potentials to old faces were more positive than those to new faces f rom 300 to 600 ms after face onset. For named faces, the old-new ERP differ ence was observed at anterior and posterior scalp locations. For unnamed fa ces, the old-new ERP difference was observed only at posterior scalp locati ons. Results from a prior experiment suggest that these effects do not refl ect perceptual priming of faces. The posterior portion of the old-new ERP d ifference was thus interpreted as a neural correlate of retrieval of visual face information and the anterior portion as an indication. of retrieval o f person-specific semantic information. (C) 2000 Academic Press.