FBS Colloquia No.231Cognitive Neuroscience Group

Dual route hypothesis of face processing

In primates including humans, the ventral cortical pathway, which starts from the occipital cortex and reaches the inferior temporal cortex, plays a critical role in face processing. Additionally, a subcortical pathway through the superior colliculus and the pulvinar to the amygdala is hypothesized to contribute to face processing. However, direct evidence for this dual route hypothesis is scarce. In this seminar, I am going to show you our recent findings from neurophysiology and neuroanatomy that support the existence of subcortical face processing.