Seen gaze-direction modulates fusiform activity and its coupling with other brain areas during face processing

Gaze-contact is often a preliminary to social interaction and so constitute s a signal for the allocation of processing resources to the gazing face. W e investigated how gaze direction influences face processing in an fMRI stu dy, where seen gaze and head direction could independently he direct or dev iated. Direct relative to averted gaze elicited stronger activation for fac es in ventral occipitotemporal cortices around the fusiform gyrus, regardle ss of head orientation. Moreover, direct gaze led to greater correlation be tween activity in the fusiform and the amygdala, a region associated with e motional responses and stimulus saliency. By contrast, faces with averted g aze (again, regardless of head orientation) yielded increased correlation b etween activity in the fusiform and the intraparietal sulcus, a region asso ciated with shifting attention to the periphery. (C) 2001 Academic Press.