Different Neural Response in Human Ventral Visual Cortex for the Face and House in a Wide Visual Field

The present study examined the coding of retinal eccentricity spatial position in object selective cortex. Using a wide-view (about 120 degrees) visual presentation system developed for vision research and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the subject were presented with face and house, which were centrally located along the horizontal and vertical meridian in 4 level of eccentricity degree. We investigated the BLOD response to stimuli in two regions in the ventral visual cortex, the fusiform face area (FFA), and the parahippocampal place area (PPA). The analysis further revealed the weaker BLOD response in the bigger eccentricity in both the FFA and PPA areas. Moreover, the FFA had much bigger neural activation than the PPA. However, the ratio relative to central position had no difference between face and house. Regions of the FFA had bigger neural response, and associated with central representation, compared to PPA had smaller neural response, and associated with more peripheral representation. These results suggested the neural response character in ventral visual areas influenced by inherent difference between face and house, and little by the eccentricity.