biostudies-literatureDavidesco INIMH NIH HHSNIGMS NIH HHS1879-93https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4051894biostudies-literatureUnknown24(7)While brain imaging studies emphasized the category selectivity of face-related areas, the underlying mechanisms of our remarkable ability to discriminate between different faces are less understood. Here, we recorded intracranial local field potentials from face-related areas in patients presented with images of faces and objects. A highly significant exemplar tuning within the category of faces was observed in high-Gamma (80-150 Hz) responses. The robustness of this effect was supported by single-trial decoding of face exemplars using a minimal (n = 5) training set. Importantly, exemplar tuning reflected the psychophysical distance between faces but not their low-level features. Our results reveal a neuronal substrate for the establishment of perceptual distance among faces in the human Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)Exemplar selectivity reflects perceptual similarities in the human fusiform cortex.PMC4051894MH093061T32 GM007288MH086385Groppe DMGoodman RRMalach RZion-Golumbic EMcKhann GMHarel MMehta ADDavidesco IKeller CJSchevon CABickel SSchroeder CEGoelman GfalseExemplar selectivity reflects perceptual similarities in the human fusiform cortex.While brain imaging studies emphasized the category selectivity of face-related areas, the underlying mechanisms of our remarkable ability to discriminate between different faces are less understood. Here, we recorded intracranial local field potentials from face-related areas in patients presented with images of faces and objects. A highly significant exemplar tuning within the category of faces was observed in high-Gamma (80-150 Hz) responses. The robustness of this effect was supported by single-trial decoding of face exemplars using a minimal (n = 5) training set. Importantly, exemplar tuning reflected the psychophysical distance between faces but not their low-level features. Our results reveal a neuronal substrate for the establishment of perceptual distance among faces in the human 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z2014 Jul2025-04-21T18:53:12.461Z2019-03-26T22:43:03ZS-EPMC40518942343844810.1093/cercor/bht038