Gender in Face-Voice Integration

Bayesian models of perception represent a promising approach to describe information processing by the brain. Predictive coding hypothesizes a process in which top-down expectations are continuously compared across multiple hierarchical levels with bottom-up sensory inputs and the differences or error signals are propagated in a bottom-up direction. The investigators hypothesize that strong expectations, are best investigated in expert processes such as face and voice recognition in humans. Individuals in complex social systems need to extract socially relevant information in a fast and efficient manner; hence, the majority of humans constitute face, voice and gender experts. Nevertheless, linking such combined abilities to brain activity with regards to the predictive coding hypothesis has not been attempted.Our results suggest asymmetric contributions of visual and auditory signals to the gender classification task. This sensitive psychophysical procedure is implemented in a decoding approach using fMRI and multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA). The investigators plan to test whether cortical areas implicated in processing auditory and visual gender signals show similar asymmetries.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Le VINATIER

Bron, 69 500, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Healthy men and women, right-handed
No neurological antecedent
Signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Pregnant women
Volunteers with MRI contraindications: persons using a pacemaker or insulin pump, persons with a metallic prosthesis or an intracerebral clip, as well as claustrophobic subjects, neurosensory stimulator or implantable defibrillator, cochlear implants, body Foreign ferromagnetic ocular or cerebral close to nerve structures, agitation of the subject (non-cooperating or agitated subjects), ventriculoperitoneal neurosurgical bypass valves, dental apparatus.
Persons under guardianship, curatorship or any other administrative or judicial measure of deprivation of rights or liberty, as well as persons of legal age protected by law.
Participants refusing to be informed of the results of the medical examination (inclusion).
Participants refusing to be informed of the possible detection of an anomaly.

Treatment and study plan

fMRI Study

Other

Functional brain activations of face-voice processing during a gender task

Primary outcomes

Identify neural correlates (fMRI) of face / voice interaction in a gender classification task

Time frame: Maximum 90 days between inclusion of the subject and the 1st fMRI session (1h1 / 2). Then maximum 90 days before the 2nd session (1h1 / 2).

Classical functional analyses (GLM) and advanced statistical analyses of brain activations (BrainVoyager and Matlab softwares).
Identify neural correlates (fMRI) of face / voice respective contribution in a gender classification task

Time frame: Maximum 90 days between inclusion of the subject and the 1st fMRI session (1h1 / 2). Then maximum 90 days before the 2nd session (1h1 / 2).

Classical functional analyses (GLM) and advanced statistical analyses of brain activations

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hospices Civils de Lyon

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Neural Correlates of Multimodal Face/Voice Processing in a Gender Task.

Acronym: Face-Voice

Important dates

Study start: 2016
Primary completion: 2018
Study completion: 2018
First posted: Feb 20, 2017
Registry last updated: Sep 15, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed