Recognizing one's own face

We report two studies of facial self-perception using individually tailored , standardized facial photographs of a group of volunteers and their partne rs. A computerized morphing procedure was used to merge each target face wi th an unknown control face. In the first set of experiments, a discriminati on task revealed a delayed response time for the more extensively morphed s elf-face stimuli. In a second set of experiments, functional magnetic reson ance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activation while subjects vie wed morphed versions of either their own or their partner's face, alternati ng in blocks with presentation of an unknown face. When subjects viewed the mselves (minus activation for viewing an unknown face), increased blood oxy genation was detected in right limbic (hippocampal formation, insula, anter ior cingulate), left prefrontal cortex and superior temporal cortex. In the partner (versus unknown) experiment, only the right insula was activated. We suggest that a neural network involving the right hemisphere in conjunct ion with left-sided associative and executive regions underlies the process of visual self-recognition Together, this combination produces the unique experience of self-awareness. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.