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Covert recognition in acquired and developmental prosopagnosia
J J Barton1, M Cherkasova, M O'Connor
1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. jbarton@caregroup.harvard.edu
Neurology
|October 10, 2001
Summary
Patients with acquired prosopagnosia can exhibit covert face processing, especially with semantic cues, unlike those with developmental prosopagnosia. Covert recognition is linked to residual overt familiarity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, can involve covert recognition, where facial identity familiarity exists unconsciously.
- The study investigates covert processing in different forms of prosopagnosia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if prosopagnosia with right occipitotemporal lesions lacks covert processing.
- To determine if associative prosopagnosia with bilateral anterior temporal lesions has covert processing.
Main Methods:
- Eight prosopagnosia patients underwent face recognition tests.
- Tests included discriminating famous from unknown faces and using semantic cues.
Main Results:
- Acquired prosopagnosia showed better overt discrimination than developmental.
- Covert familiarity was absent without semantic cues but present with them in acquired prosopagnosia.
- Developmental prosopagnosia patients lacked covert processing, even with intact name recognition.
Conclusions:
- Right occipitotemporal lesions do not preclude covert face processing.
- Developmental prosopagnosia likely prevents the formation of facial memories necessary for covert processing.
- Covert and overt face recognition are related phenomena.
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