Resting-state fMRI reveals functional connectivity between face-selective perirhinal cortex and the fusiform face area related to face inversion

Studies examining the neural correlates of face perception and recognition in humans have revealed multiple brain regions that appear to play a specialized role in face processing. These include an anterior portion of perirhinal cortex (PrC) that appears to be homologous to the face-selective 'anterior face patch' recently reported in non-human primates. Electrical stimulation studies in the macaque indicate that the anterior face patch is strongly connected with other face-selective patches of cortex, even in the absence of face stimuli. The intrinsic functional connectivity of face-selective PrC and other regions of the face-processing network in humans are currently less well understood. Here, we examined resting-state fMRI connectivity across five face-selective regions in the right hemisphere that were identified with separate functional localizer scans: the PrC, amygdala (Amg), superior temporal sulcus, fusiform face area (FFA), and occipital face area. A partial correlation technique, controlling for fluctuations in occipitotemporal cortex that were not face specific, revealed connectivity between the PrC and the FFA, as well as the Amg. When examining the 'unique' connectivity of PrC within this face processing network, we found that the connectivity between the PrC and the FFA as well as that between the PrC and the Amg persisted even after controlling for potential mediating effects of other face-selective regions. Lastly, we examined the behavioral relevance of PrC connectivity by examining inter-individual differences in resting-state fluctuations in relation to differences in behavioral performance for a forced-choice recognition memory task that involved judgments on upright and inverted faces. This analysis revealed a significant correlation between the increased accuracy for upright faces (i.e., the face inversion effect) and the strength of connectivity between the PrC and the FFA. Together, these findings point to a high degree of functional integration of face-selective aspects of PrC in the face processing network with notable behavioral relevance.