Title
Testing viewpoint invariance in the neural representation of faces: an MEG study
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which the neural representation of faces in the visual cortex is viewpoint invariant. MEG was used to measure evoked responses to faces during an adaptation paradigm. Using familiar and unfamiliar faces, we compared the amplitude of the M170 response to repeated images of the same face compared to images of different faces. We found a reduction in the M170 amplitude to repeated presentations of the same face image compared to images of different faces when shown from the same viewpoint. To establish if this adaptation to the identity of a face was invariant to changes in viewpoint, we varied the viewing angle of the face within a block. In order to exert strict control over the viewpoint from which the face was viewed, we used 3D models recovered from single images using shape-from-shading. This makes the study unique in its use of techniques from machine vision in order to test human visual processes. We found a reduction in response was no longer evident when images of the same face were shown from different viewpoints. These results imply that the face-selective M170 response either reflects an early stage of face processing or that the computations underlying face recognition depend on a viewpoint-dependent neuronal representation.
Year
DOI
Venue
2007
10.1007/978-3-540-75555-5_6
BVAI
Keywords
Field
DocType
m170 response,face image,testing viewpoint invariance,different viewpoint,m170 amplitude,neural representation,unfamiliar face,different face,viewpoint invariant,face processing,computations underlying face recognition,meg study,evoked response,shape from shading,machine vision,face recognition
Computer vision,Facial recognition system,Visual cortex,Three-dimensional face recognition,Machine vision,Face perception,Psychology,Invariant (mathematics),Artificial intelligence,Face detection,Viewing angle
Conference
Volume
ISSN
ISBN
4729
0302-9743
3-540-75554-3
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
6
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Michael P. Ewbank100.34
William A. P. Smith247647.63
Edwin R. Hancock35432462.92
Timothy J. Andrews4404.58