Eimer, M.
Department of Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
I will present results from a series of event-related brain potential (ERP) studies that used rapid neural adaptation (or repetition suppression) procedures to study component processes of face perception, and how these processes are reflected by the face-sensitive N170 component. Face and non-face adaptor stimuli (S1) and test face stimuli (S2) were presented for 200 ms, and were separated by a very brief (200 ms) interstimulus interval. The pattern of N170 adaptation effects measured in response to test faces that were preceded by different types of adaptor stimuli provided new insights into the organisation of face processing, and into the category-selectivity of brain activity that is reflected by N170 responses. Results observed with naturalistic, schematic, and Mooney face adaptors suggest that several dissociable processes are involved in early stages of face processing, including the generic analysis of individual face parts, in particular the eyes, as well as configural and holistic face processing. The systematic pattern of N170 adaptation effects observed across experiments demonstrates the potential of the rapid adaptation technique as a tool to dissociate component processes of face perception, and also underlines the fact that the N170 component is a direct electrophysiological index of neural mechanisms that implement human face processing.