Functionally defined white matter reveals segregated pathways in human ventral temporal cortex associated with category-specific processing

Jesse Gomez; Franco Pestilli; Nathan Witthoft; Golijeh Golarai; Alina Liberman; Sonia Poltoratski; Jennifer Yoon; Kalanit Grill-Spector

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2014.12.027

Functionally defined white matter reveals segregated pathways in human ventral temporal cortex associated with category-specific processing

Neuron. 2015 Jan 7;85(1):216-227. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.12.027.

Authors

Jesse Gomez¹, Franco Pestilli², Nathan Witthoft³, Golijeh Golarai³, Alina Liberman⁴, Sonia Poltoratski⁵, Jennifer Yoon⁶, Kalanit Grill-Spector⁷

Affiliations

¹ Neurosciences Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: gomezj@stanford.edu.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Indiana, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
³ Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
⁴ Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
⁵ Psychology Department, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37325, USA.
⁶ Psychology Department, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA.
⁷ Neurosciences Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Psychology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Abstract

It is unknown if the white-matter properties associated with specific visual networks selectively affect category-specific processing. In a novel protocol we combined measurements of white-matter structure, functional selectivity, and behavior in the same subjects. We find two parallel white-matter pathways along the ventral temporal lobe connecting to either face-selective or place-selective regions. Diffusion properties of portions of these tracts adjacent to face- and place-selective regions of ventral temporal cortex correlate with behavioral performance for face or place processing, respectively. Strikingly, adults with developmental prosopagnosia (face blindness) express an atypical structure-behavior relationship near face-selective cortex, suggesting that white-matter atypicalities in this region may have behavioral consequences. These data suggest that examining the interplay between cortical function, anatomical connectivity, and visual behavior is integral to understanding functional networks and their role in producing visual abilities and deficits.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Case-Control Studies
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Female
Functional Neuroimaging
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Neural Pathways / pathology
Neural Pathways / physiopathology*
Pattern Recognition, Visual*
Prosopagnosia / pathology
Prosopagnosia / physiopathology*
Temporal Lobe / pathology
Temporal Lobe / physiopathology*
White Matter / pathology
White Matter / physiopathology*
Young Adult

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding