Prosopagnosia is a condition that makes it difficult or even impossible for the sufferer to remember a person's face, both his own face and the faces of others. People with this condition also have difficulty identifying faces in mirrors and photographs.
Prosopagnosia or face blindness It can be caused by a genetic disorder or a problem with the brain that detects and remembers faces. Patients with this condition will generally find it difficult to recognize and distinguish the faces of others, whether they are not or already known.
In some cases, people with prosopagnosia can't even recognize their own faces in photos or mirrors.
Prosopagnosia Causes and Symptoms
The process of recognizing, distinguishing, and remembering a person's face occurs in the brain or more precisely in the temporal part of the brain. This part is located on the left and right side of the head or near the ear. When this part of the brain is disturbed, a person will have difficulty detecting faces.
In general, facial recognition disorders or prosopagnosia are divided into 2 types, namely:
Development prosopagnosia
Development prosopagnosia occurs due to genetic disorders or has occurred since a person was born. This type of prosopagnosia generally occurs in people who have a parent or family history of similar disorders.
Prosopagnosia due to genetic disorders can also occur in people who have certain genetic disorders, such as autism, Turner syndrome, and Williams syndrome.
Acquired prosopagnosia
Patients with this type of prosopagnosia were previously able to recognize and distinguish a person's face. However, due to a condition, he lost that ability.
Acquired prosopagnosia occurs due to disorders of the brain, such as brain injury, stroke, or Alzheimer's dementia. The risk of prosopagnosia can also be increased in people who have certain psychiatric disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, and Asperger's syndrome.
Symptoms that People with Prosopagnosia Can Experience
A person who experiences prosopagnosia may experience some of the following complaints or symptoms:
- Can't recognize or identify someone's face, either someone else's face or his own face
- Unable to detect emotional changes or facial expressions and facial expressions
- It is difficult to determine the approximate age and gender of a person from the shape of his face
- It seems difficult to recognize parents' faces and characters in movies or cartoon shows, if the sufferer is still a child
Although it is difficult to recognize a person's face, gender, and even age, people with prosopagnosia generally have normal visual acuity.
Prosopagnosia will often make it difficult for sufferers to interact or socialize with other people. This can make sufferers experience severe stress or even depression.
How to Diagnose and Treat Prosopagnosia
Prosopagnosia disorder is a medical condition that needs to be examined and treated by a neurologist.
To diagnose this disorder, doctors can perform a physical examination and supporting examinations, such as CT scans, brain MRI, and EEG examinations.
The doctor will also conduct a psychiatric examination to determine whether the patient has a psychological disorder that is at risk of causing prosopagnosia.
After being diagnosed with prosopagnosia and the cause is known, the patient will receive immediate treatment from a doctor.
For example, if this condition is caused by a stroke, the doctor will provide stroke treatment. Meanwhile, if it is caused by a severe head injury, the doctor will provide treatment to overcome the injury.
Prosopagnosia that occurs due to birth, genetic disorders, or is severe can not be cured. However, doctors can train sufferers to be able to interact with other people, for example with occupational therapy.
Disruption of communication and inability to socialize can also make sufferers often feel lonely, making them vulnerable to severe stress and depression. In this case, the doctor can also provide treatment in the form of psychotherapy.
The condition of being difficult to recognize faces can indeed interfere with the social life and quality of life of the sufferer. Therefore, if you or your child experience symptoms that refer to prosopagnosia, immediately consult a doctor to undergo an examination and get the right treatment.