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Abstract:
fMRI was used to identify brain regions involved in the
perception of facial emotions and to compare different emotions.
Seventeen healthy, right-handed adults (9 female, 8 male)
participated in 4 separate runs, one for each of 4 emotions (happy,
sad, angry, afraid). Subjects viewed blocks of emotionally
expressive faces alternating with blocks of neutral faces and
scrambled images. fMRI data were collected from 16 axial, 8 mm
thick slices using a gradient echo EPI sequence (TR/TE = 4000/45
ms, FA 90$B0). For each subject, a correlation between the pattern
of activation tasks and the BOLD signal intensity was calculated on
a voxel-by-voxel basis for each pairing of tasks. The resulting
functional maps were transformed to Talairach coordinates and then
combined across subjects to generate maps of the mean fractional
signal changes and associated r values. In the neutral face versus
scrambled image comparison, several differences were observed
including an activation in the fusiform gyrus bilaterally. This
region has been associated with face processing in past studies. In
the emotion conditions as compared to the neutral face conditions,
activation was seen in the fusiform gyrus bilaterally, in the right
superior temporal sulcus, and in the inferior frontal gyrus
bilaterally. This suggests that these cortical areas are
preferentially engaged in the processing of emotional facial
expressions
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