A neurological disorder that is recognized by the inability to recognize faces is known as prosopagnosia. The condition is often referred to as face blindness or facial agnosia. The severity of the impairment determines the inability to identify faces. Some people who suffer from prosopagnosia may only have difficulty in recognizing familiar faces, while some might not be able to discriminate between unknown faces. In some cases prosopagnosia patients may not be able to differentiate a face from an object.
In some people, the condition is so severe that they cannot recognize their own face. Prosopagnosia is not associated with dysfunction of memory, memory loss, vision problems or learning disabilities. The condition can be a result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury or some neurodegenerative diseases.
The condition usually runs in the family which indicates that it could be a result of genetic mutation or deletion. To some extent, prosopagnosia is often found in children who suffer from autism and Asperger’s syndrome and can be a cause of their impaired social development.
Treatment for prosopagnosia
The treatment for prosopagnosia should help the individual to develop compensatory strategies. People who suffer from the condition as a result of stroke or brain trauma must be retrained to use other clues to identify individuals.
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Read more on Prosopagnosia Signs and Symptoms.