Cross-modal effects provide a model framework for investigating hierarchical inter-areal processing, particularly, under conditions where unimodal cortical areas receive contextual feedback from other modalities. Here, using complementary behavioral and brain imaging techniques ,we investigated the functional networks participating in face and voice processing during gender perception, a high-level feature of voice and face perception. Within the framework of a signal detection decision model, Maximum Likelihood Conjoint Measurement was used to estimate the contributions of the face and voice to gender comparisons between pairs of audio-visual stimuli in which the face and voice were independently modulated. Top-down contributions were varied by instructing participants to make judgments based on the gender of either the face, the voice or both modalities (N = 12 for each task). Estimated face and voice contributions to the judgments of the stimulus pairs were not independent; both contributed to all tasks, but their respective weights varied over a forty-fold range due to top-down influences. Models that best described the modal contributions required the inclusion of two different top-down interactions: i) an interaction that depended on gender congruence across modalities (i.e., difference between face and voice modalities for each stimulus); ii) an interaction that depended on the within modalities gender magnitude. The significance of these interactions was task dependent. Specifically, gender congruence interaction was significant for the face and voice tasks while the gender magnitude interaction was significant for the face and stimulus tasks. Subsequently, we used the same stimuli and related tasks in a functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm (N = 12) to explore the neural correlates of these perceptual processes, analyzed with Dynamic Causal Modeling and Bayesian Model Selection. Results revealed changes in effective connectivity between the unimodal Fusiform Face Area and Temporal Voice Area in a fashion that paralleled the face and voice behavioral interactions observed in the psychophysical data. These findings explore the role in perception of multiple unimodal parallel feedback pathways.

中文翻译：

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在声音和面部区域激活过程中，单峰反馈途径在性别感知中的作用

跨模式效应为调查分层区域间处理提供了模型框架，尤其是在单峰皮质区域从其他模式接收上下文反馈的情况下。在这里，我们使用互补的行为和大脑成像技术，研究了性别感知过程中参与面部和语音处理的功能网络，这是语音和面部感知的高级功能。在信号检测决策模型的框架内，最大似然联合测量用于估计人脸和声音对独立调制人脸和声音的视听刺激对之间的性别比较的贡献。自上而下的贡献通过指导参与者根据两张脸的性别做出判断而有所不同，声音或两种方式（每个任务N = 12）。估计面部和声音对刺激对判断的贡献不是独立的。两者都完成了所有任务，但由于自上而下的影响，它们各自的权重在40倍范围内变化。最能描述情态贡献的模型需要包括两种不同的自上而下的交互作用：i）一种交互作用，该交互作用取决于各种方式之间的性别一致性（即每种刺激的面部和声音方式之间的差异）；ii）取决于内部方式性别大小的互动。这些交互的意义取决于任务。具体而言，性别一致性互动对于面部和语音任务很重要，而性别幅度互动对于面部和刺激任务很重要。随后，我们在功能磁共振成像范例（N = 12）中使用了相同的刺激和相关任务来探索这些知觉过程的神经相关性，并通过动态因果建模和贝叶斯模型选择进行了分析。结果揭示了单峰梭形脸部区域和颞部语音区域之间有效连接的变化，其方式与在心理物理数据中观察到的脸部和语音行为相互作用相平行。这些发现探索了在感知多个单峰并行反馈途径中的作用。结果揭示了单峰梭形脸部区域和颞部语音区域之间有效连接的变化，其方式与在心理物理数据中观察到的脸部和语音行为相互作用相平行。这些发现探索了在感知多个单峰并行反馈途径中的作用。结果揭示了单峰梭形脸部区域和颞部语音区域之间有效连接的变化，其方式与在心理物理数据中观察到的脸部和语音行为相互作用相平行。这些发现探索了在感知多个单峰并行反馈途径中的作用。