Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is a neurological condition characterized by the inability to recognize faces. The visual nerve pathway is not damaged. Other aspects of visual processing (e.g., object discrimination) and intellectual functioning (e.g., decision-making) remain intact. Also, the condition is not related to memory, vision, or learning disabilities.

The term prosopagnosia comes from the Greek words for “face” and “lack of knowledge.” The condition is the result of abnormalities, damage, or impairment in the right fusiform gyrus, a fold in the brain that appears to coordinate the neural systems that control facial perception and memory. Prosopagnosia can result from stroke, traumatic brain injury, or certain neurodegenerative diseases. Some degree of prosopagnosia is often present in children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome and may be the cause of their impaired social development.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the degree of impairment varies considerably: people may be unable to recognize a familiar face, or differentiate between unknown faces or tell the difference between a face and an object. Some people with higher degrees of impairment may even be unable to recognize their own face and the faces of close family and friends.

There is no cure for face blindness. Treatment focuses on helping people with the condition find coping mechanisms to better identify individuals.

More Info: www.ninds.nih.gov