Dopamine D1 binding potential predicts fusiform BOLD activity during face-recognition performance

Abstract

The importance of face memory in humans and primates is well established, but little is known about the neurotransmitter systems involved in face recognition. We tested the hypothesis that face recognition is linked to dopamine (DA) activity in fusiform gyrus (FFG). DA availability was assessed by measuring D1 binding potential (BP) during rest using PET. We further assessed blood-oxygen-leveldependent (BOLD) signal change while subjects performed a face-recognition task during fMRI scanning. There was a strong association betweenD1BPandBOLDactivity in FFG, whereasD1BPin striatal and other extrastriatal regions were unrelated to neural activity in FFG. These results suggest that D1 BP locally modulates FFG function during face recognition. Observed relationships among D1 BP, BOLD activity, and face-recognition performance further suggest that D1 receptors place constraints on the responsiveness of FFG neurons.