The effect of gaze direction on three-dimensional face recognition in infant brain activity

In three-dimensional face recognition studies, it is well known that viewing rotating faces enhance face recognition. For infants, our previous study indicated that 8-month-old infants showed recognition of three-dimensional rotating faces with a direct gaze, and they did not learn with an averted gaze. This suggests that gaze direction may affect three-dimensional face recognition in infants. In this experiment, we used near-infrared spectroscopy to measure infants' hemodynamic responses to averted gaze and direct gaze. We hypothesized that infants would show different neural activity for averted and direct gazes. The responses were compared with the baseline activation during the presentation of non-face objects. We found that the concentration of oxyhemoglobin increased in the temporal cortex on both sides only during the presentation of averted gaze compared with that of the baseline period. This is the first study to show that infants' brain activity in three-dimensional face processing is different between averted gaze and direct gaze. NeuroReport 23:799-803 (C) 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.