prosopagnosia

prosopagnosia

NEUROLOGY

A condition characterised by an impaired ability to recognise faces, with other aspects of visual processing–e.g., object discrimination and cognition–e.g., decision making, remaining intact. It is usually acquired; if inherited, it is often autosomal dominant. 

Aetiology, acquired prosopagnosia Vascular insults–ischaemia, haemorrhage, carbon monoxide poisoning, temporal lobectomy, encephalitis, neoplasm, right temporal lobe atrophy, trauma, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Anatomic regions involved Inferior occipital areas, fusiform gyrus, anterior temporal cortex

Types of prosopagnosia

• Apperceptive 

• Associative 

• Developmental 

Why it’s important Because Brad Pitt has it!

Synonym Face blindness

Reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia