Data from: Face patch resting state networks link face processing to social cognition

Faces transmit a wealth of social information. How this information is exchanged between face-processing centers and brain areas supporting social cognition remains largely unclear. Here we identify these routes using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging in macaque monkeys. We find that face areas functionally connect to specific regions within frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices, as well as subcortical structures supporting emotive, mnemonic, and cognitive functions. This establishes the existence of an extended face-recognition system in the macaque. Furthermore, the face patch resting state networks and the default mode network in monkeys show a pattern of overlap akin to that between the social brain and the default mode network in humans: this overlap specifically includes the posterior superior temporal sulcus, medial parietal, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, areas supporting high-level social cognition in humans. Together, these results reveal the embedding of face areas into larger brain networks and suggest that the resting state networks of the face patch system offer a new, easily accessible venue into the functional organization of the social brain and into the evolution of possibly uniquely human social skills.

面孔传递着丰富的社会信息。然而，这些信息在面孔加工中枢与支持社会认知的脑区之间的传递机制，目前仍不明晰。本研究通过对猕猴开展静息态功能磁共振成像（resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging）扫描，明确了这一信息传递通路。研究发现，面孔加工脑区与额、颞、顶叶皮层内的特定区域，以及支持情绪、记忆与认知功能的皮层下结构存在功能连接。这证实了猕猴体内存在扩展的面孔识别系统。此外，猕猴的面孔斑块静息态网络与默认模式网络（default mode network）的重叠模式，与人类社会脑（social brain）和默认模式网络的重叠模式高度相似：该重叠区域具体包含后颞上沟、内侧顶叶皮层以及背内侧前额叶皮层——这些脑区在人类中负责支持高级社会认知功能。综上，这些研究结果揭示了面孔加工脑区嵌入更大规模脑网络的机制，并表明面孔斑块系统的静息态网络为探究社会脑的功能组织，以及可能独属于人类的社会技能的演化过程，提供了一种全新且易于实施的研究路径。