Dissociable neural networks for processing fearful bodily expressions at different spatial frequencies
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| Title: | Dissociable neural networks for processing fearful bodily expressions at different spatial frequencies |
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| Authors: | Maria-Chiara Villa, Alessio Borriero, Matteo Diano, Tommaso Ciorli, Alessia Celeghin, Beatrice de Gelder, Marco Tamietto |
| Source: | Cerebral Cortex. 35 |
| Publisher Information: | Oxford University Press (OUP), 2025. |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Subject Terms: | Male, Adult, searchlight, Brain Mapping, Nerve Net/physiology diagnostic imaging, spatial frequencies, Brain, fearful bodily expressions, Fear, Brain/physiology, Brain/physiology diagnostic imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Facial Expression, Fear/physiology, Young Adult, MVPA, emotion perception, Nerve Net/physiology, Humans, Female, Fear/physiology psychology, Nerve Net, Cues, Photic Stimulation |
| Description: | The human brain processes visual input across various spatial frequency (SF) ranges to extract emotional cues. Prior studies have extensively explored SF processing in facial expressions, yielding partly conflicting results. However, bodily expressions, which provide complementary emotional and survival-relevant cues, remain unexplored. We investigated the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of low (LSF), high (HSF), and broad spatial frequency (BSF) components in fearful versus neutral bodily postures. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we examined brain activity in 20 participants viewing SF-filtered images of bodily expressions in a semi-passive task. A multivariate “searchlight” analysis based on Multi-Voxel Pattern Analysis was employed to decode the non-linear activation patterns associated with each SF band. Our findings reveal that SF processing engages distinct neural networks in response to fearful bodily expressions. BSF stimuli activated a widespread network, including the amygdala, pulvinar, frontal, and temporal cortices. These findings suggest a general threat-detection system integrating information across all SFs. HSF stimuli engaged cortical regions associated with detailed emotional evaluation and motor planning, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and premotor areas, suggesting that processing fine-grained fear cues involves computationally demanding networks related to emotional resonance and action preparation. In contrast, LSF stimuli primarily activated motor-preparatory regions linked to rapid, action-oriented responses, highlighting the brain prioritization of quick readiness to low-detail threats. Notably, the amygdala showed no SF selectivity, supporting its role as a generalized “relevance detector” in emotional processing. The present study demonstrates that the brain flexibly adapts its SF processing strategy based on the visual details available in fearful bodily expressions, underscoring the complexity and adaptability of emotional processing from bodily signals. |
| Document Type: | Article |
| File Description: | application/pdf |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 1460-2199 1047-3211 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/cercor/bhaf067 |
| Access URL: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40277422 https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/883448dc-2ab7-48d3-aa1d-04253516063c https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaf067 https://hdl.handle.net/2318/2072862 https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaf067 |
| Rights: | OUP Standard Publication Reuse |
| Accession Number: | edsair.doi.dedup.....3ee3503cff67f1b8bbb5d496a449262d |
| Database: | OpenAIRE |
Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstract: | The human brain processes visual input across various spatial frequency (SF) ranges to extract emotional cues. Prior studies have extensively explored SF processing in facial expressions, yielding partly conflicting results. However, bodily expressions, which provide complementary emotional and survival-relevant cues, remain unexplored. We investigated the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of low (LSF), high (HSF), and broad spatial frequency (BSF) components in fearful versus neutral bodily postures. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we examined brain activity in 20 participants viewing SF-filtered images of bodily expressions in a semi-passive task. A multivariate “searchlight” analysis based on Multi-Voxel Pattern Analysis was employed to decode the non-linear activation patterns associated with each SF band. Our findings reveal that SF processing engages distinct neural networks in response to fearful bodily expressions. BSF stimuli activated a widespread network, including the amygdala, pulvinar, frontal, and temporal cortices. These findings suggest a general threat-detection system integrating information across all SFs. HSF stimuli engaged cortical regions associated with detailed emotional evaluation and motor planning, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and premotor areas, suggesting that processing fine-grained fear cues involves computationally demanding networks related to emotional resonance and action preparation. In contrast, LSF stimuli primarily activated motor-preparatory regions linked to rapid, action-oriented responses, highlighting the brain prioritization of quick readiness to low-detail threats. Notably, the amygdala showed no SF selectivity, supporting its role as a generalized “relevance detector” in emotional processing. The present study demonstrates that the brain flexibly adapts its SF processing strategy based on the visual details available in fearful bodily expressions, underscoring the complexity and adaptability of emotional processing from bodily signals. |
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| ISSN: | 14602199 10473211 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/cercor/bhaf067 |