Morphing between expressions dissociates continuous from categorical representations of facial expression in the human brain.

ABSTRACT: Whether the brain represents facial expressions as perceptual continua or as emotion categories remains controversial. Here, we measured the neural response to morphed images to directly address how facial expressions of emotion are represented in the brain. We found that face-selective regions in the posterior superior temporal sulcus and the amygdala responded selectively to changes in facial expression, independent of changes in identity. We then asked whether the responses in these regions reflected categorical or continuous neural representations of facial expression. Participants viewed images from continua generated by morphing between faces posing different expressions such that the expression could be the same, could involve a physical change but convey the same emotion, or could

SUBMITTER: Harris RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3529057 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature