Prosopagnosia
Pronunciation: pros-oh-pag-NO-see-ah
Neurological condition causing inability to recognize familiar faces despite intact vision and cognition.
Full Definition
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize familiar faces, including those of family members, friends, and sometimes even one's own reflection. This condition can be congenital or acquired through brain injury, particularly damage to the fusiform gyrus in the temporal lobe. Patients typically retain normal vision, object recognition, and general cognitive abilities. In rehabilitation settings, prosopagnosia significantly impacts social functioning and requires specific compensatory strategies focusing on non-facial cues for person identification.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from general visual agnosia, which affects object recognition broadly.
In Context
- "The stroke patient developed prosopagnosia and required training to use voice recognition and clothing cues." — Rehabilitation plan
- "Prosopagnosia assessment revealed severe impairment in familiar face recognition despite preserved object identification." — Neuropsychological evaluation