Raw data for Facemasks and face recognition: Potential impact on synaptic plasticity

<p>Figure 2 legend &nbsp;Upper panel. In control condition, visual sensory inputs from in- dividual&rsquo;s face are encoded by the face recognition system. At system level (a), this process implies functional and structural modifications in multiple brain regions, whereas at cellular level (b), this promotes the induction of distinct forms of synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation and long-term depression (LTP, LTD, respectively). Lower panel. Wearing face masks consis- tently reduces the amount of information, by excluding the lower part of the face, including nose and mouth. Thus, both at system and cellular level, such mismatch impairs long-term functional and structural plasticity. In particular, at synaptic level, LTP induction will be favored, whereas LTD will be impaired. The black traces indicate the excitatory postsynaptic potentials in control condition; the red traces represent the long-term changes in synaptic efficacy after the induction protocol.</p>