Something To Know About Prosopagnosia

Prosopagnosia is a term derived from the Greek words Prosopon meaning face and Agnosia meaning the lack of knowledge

. It refers to a condition commonly known as face blindness. Although cases of face blindness have been recorded even in the nineteenth century it was first referred to as Prosopagnosia in a paper by Dr. Joachim Bodamer a neurologist from Germany in 1947.

A prosopagnosic has a particular impairment in perception of faces while other cognitive functions may remain unimpaired. The degree of severity of the condition may vary from patient to patient but in some cases prosopagnosics may not be able to recognize even members of their immediate family, friends or even themselves. However, most patients are able to learn to recognize people based on other non-facial cues such as speech, gait or other distinctive physical characteristics. This research seems to suggest that the way we perceive and process information about faces is different to how we process information about other objects we see. It has been suggested that there is a greater emotional involvement in processing information about faces.

Most cases of prosopagnosia occur after a traumatic injury to the brain or following a stroke or degeneration of brain cells resulting from a neurological disease. This is referred to as acquired prosopagnosia. Prosopagnosia may also occur in children whose perceptive abilities and particularly facial perception abilities are just developing. This is known as developmental prosopagnosia.

There have also been reported cases of congenital prosopagnosia where the condition is present in certain individuals at birth. Studies have suggested that congenital prosopagnosia may run in families and could therefore be the result of a missing or defective gene sequence. There is also evidence that prosopagnosia may be present to varying degrees in Autism and Autism Spectrum disorders such as Asperger Syndrome and Williams Syndrome. Difficulties in facial recognition could explain the problems of Autistic patients in developing social skills.

Some people with prosopagnosia may not even be able to distinguish a face from another non-facial object, others may recognize a face as a face but not be able to determine gender or tell the difference between one face and another. Yet others may be able to tell that faces look different and can distinguish male and female faces. However, they may be unable to remember or use any facial features to identify individuals.

Although scientists have known about prosopagnosia for many years their knowledge about the condition is far from complete and they still have no clear idea of what causes it or how it can be prevented. Most treatment and therapy options concentrate on helping patients overcome their inability to recognize faces by learning other ways to identify people.

by: Ryan Round

POST COMMENT

Great Barbecue Sauce Rib Ideas! The Negative Side Of Paying Private Tuition Best Fleece Blanket - Dreamie Blanket How Does the Relative Strength Indicator Function? Most Infamous Cults Part 2 A Simple Steps to Make Your Pc Run Faster Скачать Фильм Сейчас Можно Прямо Из Интернета A Criminosa Tragédia Urbana Brasileira Appropriate Brochure Format For Your Specific Industry Most Infamous Cults Part 1 How Long After I Land Is My Reservation Still Valid? Should you try Ginkgo Biloba? Growing Catnip for Your Cat