Repetition Suppression for Noisy and Intact Faces in the Occipito-Temporal Cortex

Repetition suppression (RS), the relative lower neural response magnitude to repeated as compared to non-repeated stimuli, is often explained within the predictive coding framework. According to this theory, precise predictions (priors) together with less precise sensory evidences lead to decisions that are determined largely by the predictions and the other way around. In other words, the prediction error, namely the magnitude of RS, should depend on the precision of predictions and sensory inputs. In the current study, we aimed at testing this idea by manipulating the clarity and thereby the precision of the incoming sensory data by adding noise to the images. This resulted in an fMRI adaptation design with repeated or alternating trials showing clear or noisy face stimuli. Our results show a noise effect on the activity in the fusiform face area (FFA), namely less activation for noisy than for clear trials, which supports previous findings. No such effects could be found in OFA or LO. Data also showed reliable RS in the FFA (bilateral) and unilaterally in OFA (right) and LO (left). Interestingly, the noise added to the stimuli did not affect the magnitude of RS in any of the tested cortical areas. This suggests that the clarity of the sensory input is not crucial in determining the magnitude of RS.