@article{discovery8431, title = {Specialization of neural mechanisms underlying face recognition in human infants}, number = {2}, volume = {14}, year = {2002}, publisher = {M I T PRESS}, pages = {199 -- 209}, journal = {J COGNITIVE NEUROSCI}, month = {February}, keywords = {UPSIDE-DOWN FACES, DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGES, BRAIN POTENTIALS, VISUAL-CORTEX, PERCEPTION, REPRESENTATION, INVERSION, MEMORY, N170, EYE}, issn = {0898-929X}, url = {https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/8431/}, author = {de Haan, M and Pascalis, O and Johnson, MH}, abstract = {Newborn infants respond preferentially to simple face-like patterns, raising the possibility that the face-specific region, identified in the adult cortex are functioning from birth. We sought to evaluate this hypothesis by characterizing the specificity Of infants' electrocortical responses to faces in two ways: (1) comparing responses to faces of humans with those to faces of nonhuman primates; and 2) comparing responses to upright and inverted faces. Adults' face-responsive N170 event-related potential (ERP) component showed specificity to upright human faces that was not observable at any point in the ERPs Of infants. A putative "infant N170" did show sensitivity to the species of the face, but the orientation of the face did not influence processing until a later stage. These findings suggest a process of gradual specialization of cortical face processing systems during postnatal development.} }