Kirsten A Dalrymple1, Kimberley Fletcher2, Sherryse Corrow3, Roshan das Nair4, Jason J S Barton2, Albert Yonas3, Brad Duchaine5. 1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK. Electronic address: kad@umn.edu. 2. Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 3. Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. 4. Division of Rehabilitation & Ageing, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. 5. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia ('face blindness') have severe face recognition difficulties due to a failure to develop the necessary visual mechanisms for recognizing faces. These difficulties occur in the absence of brain damage and despite normal low-level vision and intellect. Adults with developmental prosopagnosia report serious personal and emotional consequences from their inability to recognize faces, but little is known about the psychosocial consequences in childhood. Given the importance of face recognition in daily life, and the potential for unique social consequences of impaired face recognition in childhood, we sought to evaluate the impact of developmental prosopagnosia on children and their families. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 8 children with developmental prosopagnosia and their parents. A battery of face recognition tests was used to confirm the face recognition impairment reported by the parents of each child. We used thematic analysis to develop common themes among the psychosocial experiences of the children and their parents. RESULTS: Three themes were developed from the child reports: 1) awareness of their difficulties, 2) coping strategies, such as using non-facial cues to identify others, and 3) social implications, such as discomfort in, and avoidance of, social situations. These themes were paralleled by the parent reports and highlight the unique social and practical challenges associated with childhood developmental prosopagnosia. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate a need for increased awareness and treatment of developmental prosopagnosia to help these children manage their face recognition difficulties and to promote their social and emotional wellbeing.
OBJECTIVE: Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia ('face blindness') have severe face recognition difficulties due to a failure to develop the necessary visual mechanisms for recognizing faces. These difficulties occur in the absence of brain damage and despite normal low-level vision and intellect. Adults with developmental prosopagnosia report serious personal and emotional consequences from their inability to recognize faces, but little is known about the psychosocial consequences in childhood. Given the importance of face recognition in daily life, and the potential for unique social consequences of impaired face recognition in childhood, we sought to evaluate the impact of developmental prosopagnosia on children and their families. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 8 children with developmental prosopagnosia and their parents. A battery of face recognition tests was used to confirm the face recognition impairment reported by the parents of each child. We used thematic analysis to develop common themes among the psychosocial experiences of the children and their parents. RESULTS: Three themes were developed from the child reports: 1) awareness of their difficulties, 2) coping strategies, such as using non-facial cues to identify others, and 3) social implications, such as discomfort in, and avoidance of, social situations. These themes were paralleled by the parent reports and highlight the unique social and practical challenges associated with childhood developmental prosopagnosia. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate a need for increased awareness and treatment of developmental prosopagnosia to help these children manage their face recognition difficulties and to promote their social and emotional wellbeing.
Authors: Vahideh Manouchehri; Andrea Albonico; Jennifer Hemström; Sarra Djouab; Hyeongmin Kim; Jason J S Barton Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2022-09-07 Impact factor: 2.064