TY - JOUR

T1 - Representational similarity precedes category selectivity in the developing ventral visual pathway

AU - Cohen, Michael A

AU - Dilks, Daniel D

AU - Koldewyn, Kami

AU - Weigelt, Sarah

AU - Feather, Jenelle

AU - Kell, Alexander Je

AU - Keil, Boris

AU - Fischl, Bruce

AU - Zöllei, Lilla

AU - Wald, Lawrence

AU - Saxe, Rebecca

AU - Kanwisher, Nancy

N1 - Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2019/8/15

Y1 - 2019/8/15

N2 - Many studies have investigated the development of face-, scene-, and body-selective regions in the ventral visual pathway. This work has primarily focused on comparing the size and univariate selectivity of these neural regions in children versus adults. In contrast, very few studies have investigated the developmental trajectory of more distributed activation patterns within and across neural regions. Here, we scanned both children (ages 5-7) and adults to test the hypothesis that distributed representational patterns arise before category selectivity (for faces, bodies, or scenes) in the ventral pathway. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found mature representational patterns in several ventral pathway regions (e.g., FFA, PPA, etc.), even in children who showed no hint of univariate selectivity. These results suggest that representational patterns emerge first in each region, perhaps forming a scaffold upon which univariate category selectivity can subsequently develop. More generally, our findings demonstrate an important dissociation between category selectivity and distributed response patterns, and raise questions about the relative roles of each in development and adult cognition.

AB - Many studies have investigated the development of face-, scene-, and body-selective regions in the ventral visual pathway. This work has primarily focused on comparing the size and univariate selectivity of these neural regions in children versus adults. In contrast, very few studies have investigated the developmental trajectory of more distributed activation patterns within and across neural regions. Here, we scanned both children (ages 5-7) and adults to test the hypothesis that distributed representational patterns arise before category selectivity (for faces, bodies, or scenes) in the ventral pathway. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found mature representational patterns in several ventral pathway regions (e.g., FFA, PPA, etc.), even in children who showed no hint of univariate selectivity. These results suggest that representational patterns emerge first in each region, perhaps forming a scaffold upon which univariate category selectivity can subsequently develop. More generally, our findings demonstrate an important dissociation between category selectivity and distributed response patterns, and raise questions about the relative roles of each in development and adult cognition.

U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.010

DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.010

M3 - Article

C2 - 31077844

VL - 197

SP - 565

EP - 574

JO - Neuroimage

JF - Neuroimage

SN - 1053-8119

ER -