Inferotemporal face patches are histo-architectonically distinct

• Published in: Cell reports (Cambridge) 2024-09, Vol.43 (9), p.114732, Article 114732
• Main Authors: Oishi, Hiroki, Berezovskii, Vladimir K., Livingstone, Margaret S., Weiner, Kevin S., Arcaro, Michael J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anatomical histo-architecture; face patches; fMRI; histology; inferior temporal cortex
• ISSN: 2211-1247; 2211-1247
• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114732

An interconnected group of cortical regions distributed across the primate inferotemporal cortex forms a network critical for face perception. Understanding the microarchitecture of this face network can refine mechanistic accounts of how individual areas function and interact to support visual perception. To address this, we acquire a unique dataset in macaque monkeys combining fMRI to localize face patches in vivo and then ex vivo histology to resolve their histo-architecture across cortical depths in the same individuals. Our findings reveal that face patches differ based on cytochrome oxidase (CO) and, to a lesser extent, myelin staining, with the middle lateral (ML) face patch exhibiting pronounced CO staining. Histo-architectonic differences are less pronounced when using probabilistic definitions of face patches, underscoring the importance of precision mapping integrating in vivo and ex vivo measurements in the same individuals. This study indicates that the macaque face patch network is composed of architectonically distinct components. [Display omitted] •Integration of in vivo fMRI and postmortem histology in the same individuals•IT face patches show different CO architecture, particularly in ML outer layers•Precision mapping of histo-architecture is more accurate than probabilistic definitions Oishi et al. combine in vivo fMRI with ex vivo histology in the same macaque monkeys, revealing distinct histo-architectural differences among face patches, with the middle lateral (ML) face patch exhibiting the most pronounced differentiation, particularly in cytochrome oxidase staining.