Neural Mechanisms of Social Attribution From Faces

Despite the importance of faces for decision making, little is known about the neural mechanisms of how information conveyed by faces is extracted and used to inform decisions we make. The goal of this research is to develop a circuit-level understanding of face processing. As part of this study, investigators will conduct experiments that utilize the rare opportunity to record in-vivo from human single neurons simultaneously in multiple brain areas in patients undergoing treatment for drug resistant epilepsy.

Researchers will investigate three overarching hypotheses on the neural substrate of face processing. Aim 1: To determine the fast temporal dynamics of face processing. Aim 2: To modulate face-related neural activity with Contextual Information. Aim 3: To test the causal relevance of face-related neural activity.

The expected outcomes of this work are a characterization of how neural representations of faces are formed, how they enable making decisions about faces, and how the face-related neural activity is modulated by context.

Participants in this study are patients undergoing invasive monitoring for suspected focal epilepsy with depth electrodes. Subjects will conduct a variety of cognitive tests on a computer placed in front of them during their hospital stay. Participating hospitals in this study are Cedars-Sinai and Stanford Hospital.

Inclusion criteria

• Intractable epilepsy, undergoing invasive monitoring
• Age ≥18
• Full Scale Intelligence Quotient > 70
• Ability to comprehend and perform simple behavioral tasks by pressing buttons on laptop computer in response to questions.

Exclusion criteria

• Determination by clinicians and investigators that a patient is unable to complete the behavioral tasks required for the protocol due to either cognitive limits, psychological limits, or pain.