THE NEUROCOGNITIVE BASIS OF GAZE PERCEPTION

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

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Abstract

The proposed fMRI research investigates the neurocognitive basis of eye gaze perception. Theoretical foundations of the study stem from neurophysiological and neuroimaging research suggesting that regions of the temporal cortex are active in the processing of gaze information. Research investigating neuronal responses in monkeys shows that cells in the superior temporal sulcus are turned to gaze direction and head orientation, suggesting that these cells may be coding the direction of attention of an observed person (Perrett et al, 1994). In addition, fMRI studies of eye gaze perception (Hoffman & Haxby, 1999) and eye and mouth movements (Puce et al 1998) have shown activation in the lateral temporal area, centered in the superior temporal solcus. Finally, one study using PET found amygdala activation when subjects were engaged in detecting eye contact (Kawashima et al,1999). Collectively, these studies suggest a neural network of eye gaze processing which includes the superior temporal solcus and amygdala, but in which subtle changes in task demands influence the degree of activation in each area. The proposed research plan attempts to define the differential role of these two structures in analyzing information from eye gaze. Additionally, identifying a neural system for eye gaze processing may provide a foundation for a model of social signal processing. For example, this experiment will provide information about the processing of the same directional cue from a social source (eyes) and a non-social source (an arrow). Throw a comprehensive model will meed to compare many different types of social signals (e.g. gestures, facial expressions, etc.), eye gaze perception may provide a template for future investigations.