Face memory, a crucial component of human social cognition, is a complex process involving an intricate network of brain structures and neural mechanisms. The ability to recognize and remember faces is essential for social interaction and bonding, and its importance extends to many areas, from the judicial system to the development of facial recognition technologies.
Recent studies have investigated the neural substrates of face memory, revealing the fundamental role of regions such as the facial fusiform area, the amygdala and the hippocampus. The fusiform facial area, located in the temporal lobe, has been associated with processing visual information from faces, while the amygdala, part of the limbic system, plays a crucial role in assigning emotional meaning to faces. The hippocampus, in turn, is responsible for the consolidation of long-term memories, including the memories of faces.
In addition to brain structures, the memory of faces is also influenced by factors such as age, gender, education and social experiences. Studies have shown that performance on face memory tests tends to decrease with advancing age and that women may have a slight advantage over men in this ability. Schooling also seems to play a role, with individuals with a higher level of education performing better on face memory tests.
Refereencia:
AGRELA RODRIGUES, Fabiano de Abreu. Faces memory. Ciencia Latina Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal, v. 6, no. 3, pp. 4511-4525, 2022.
