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Nørkær E, Gobbo S, Roald T, Starrfelt R. Disentangling developmental prosopagnosia: A scoping review of terms, tools and topics. Cortex 2024; 176:161-193. [PMID: 38795651 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The goal of this preregistered scoping review is to create an overview of the research on developmental prosopagnosia (DP). Through analysis of all empirical studies of DP in adults, we investigate 1) how DP is conceptualized and defined, 2) how individuals are classified with DP and 3) which aspects of DP are investigated in the literature. We reviewed 224 peer-reviewed studies of DP. Our analysis of the literature reveals that while DP is predominantly defined as a lifelong face recognition impairment in the absence of acquired brain injury and intellectual/cognitive problems, there is far from consensus on the specifics of the definition with some studies emphasizing e.g., deficits in face perception, discrimination and/or matching as core characteristics of DP. These differences in DP definitions is further reflected in the vast heterogeneity in classification procedures. Only about half of the included studies explicitly state how they classify individuals with DP, and these studies adopt 40 different assessment tools. The two most frequently studied aspects of DP are the role of holistic processing and the specificity of face processing, and alongside a substantial body of neuroimaging studies of DP, this paints a picture of a research field whose scientific interests and aims are rooted in cognitive neuropsychology and neuroscience. We argue that these roots - alongside the heterogeneity in DP definition and classification - may have limited the scope and interest of DP research unnecessarily, and we point to new avenues of research for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erling Nørkær
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Silvia Gobbo
- Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Tone Roald
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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DeGutis J, Kirsch L, Evans TC, Fry R, Lee DJ, Mishra M, Campbell A. Perceptual heterogeneity in developmental prosopagnosia is continuous, not categorical. Cortex 2024; 176:37-52. [PMID: 38744075 PMCID: PMC11223780 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is associated with considerable perceptual heterogeneity, though the nature of this heterogeneity and whether there are discrete subgroups versus continuous deficits remains unclear. Bennetts et al. (2022) recently found that holistic versus featural processing deficits distinguished discrete DP subgroups, but their sample was relatively small (N = 37), and subgroups were defined using a single task. To characterize perceptual heterogeneity in DPs more comprehensively, we administered a broad face perception battery to a large sample of 109 DPs and 134 controls, including validated measures of face matching (Cambridge Face Perception Test - CFPT, Computerized Benton Facial Recognition Test, Same/Different Face Matching Task), holistic processing (Part-Whole Task), and feature processing (Georges Task and Part-Whole part trials). When examining face matching measures, DPs exhibited a similar distribution of performance as controls, though shifted towards impairment by an average of 1.4 SD. We next applied Bennetts (2022) hierarchical clustering approach and k-means clustering to the CFPT upright, inverted, and inversion index measures, similarly finding one group of DPs with poorer inverted face performance and another with a decreased face inversion effect (holistic processing). However, these subgroup differences failed to generalize to other measures of feature and holistic processing beyond the CFPT. We finally ran hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses on our larger battery of face matching, feature, and holistic processing measures. Results clearly showed subgroups with generally better versus worse performance across all measures, with the distinction between groups being somewhat arbitrary. Together, these findings support a continuous account of DP perceptual heterogeneity, with performance differing primarily across all aspects of face perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Leah Kirsch
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Travis C Evans
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Regan Fry
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maruti Mishra
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; California State University, Bakersfield, CA, USA
| | - Alison Campbell
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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DeGutis J, Campbell A. Measure twice, cut once: Moving toward more inclusive, principled criteria for diagnosing developmental prosopagnosia. Cortex 2024:S0010-9452(24)00176-X. [PMID: 38969568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Alison Campbell
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Volfart A, Rossion B. The neuropsychological evaluation of face identity recognition. Neuropsychologia 2024; 198:108865. [PMID: 38522782 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Facial identity recognition (FIR) is arguably the ultimate form of recognition for the adult human brain. Even if the term prosopagnosia is reserved for exceptionally rare brain-damaged cases with a category-specific abrupt loss of FIR at adulthood, subjective and objective impairments or difficulties of FIR are common in the neuropsychological population. Here we provide a critical overview of the evaluation of FIR both for clinicians and researchers in neuropsychology. FIR impairments occur following many causes that should be identified objectively by both general and specific, behavioral and neural examinations. We refute the commonly used dissociation between perceptual and memory deficits/tests for FIR, since even a task involving the discrimination of unfamiliar face images presented side-by-side relies on cortical memories of faces in the right-lateralized ventral occipito-temporal cortex. Another frequently encountered confusion is between specific deficits of the FIR function and a more general impairment of semantic memory (of people), the latter being most often encountered following anterior temporal lobe damage. Many computerized tests aimed at evaluating FIR have appeared over the last two decades, as reviewed here. However, despite undeniable strengths, they often suffer from ecological limitations, difficulties of instruction, as well as a lack of consideration for processing speed and qualitative information. Taking into account these issues, a recently developed behavioral test with natural images manipulating face familiarity, stimulus inversion, and correct response times as a key variable appears promising. The measurement of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in the frequency domain from fast periodic visual stimulation also appears as a particularly promising tool to complete and enhance the neuropsychological assessment of FIR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Volfart
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Australia; Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IMoPA, F-54000, Nancy, France.
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Davies-Thompson J, Morgan D, Davis JP, Towler JR. Face Feature Change Detection Ability in Developmental Prosopagnosia and Super-Recognisers. Brain Sci 2024; 14:561. [PMID: 38928560 PMCID: PMC11201608 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In non-clinical populations, facial features (eyes, nose, mouth) may vary in their contribution to face identity perception. Changes to whole faces are easier to detect than changes to individual features, and eye changes are typically easier to detect than mouth changes, which in turn are easier to detect than nose changes. However, how this differs for people with face recognition difficulties (developmental prosopagnosia; DP) and for individuals with superior face recognition abilities (super-recognisers; SR) is not clear; although findings from previous studies have suggested differences, the nature of this difference is not understood. The aim of this study was to examine whether differences in the ability to detect feature changes in DPs and SRs were (a) quantitative, meaning that the pattern across feature changes remained the same but there was an overall upwards or downwards shift in performance, or (b) qualitative, meaning that the pattern across feature changes was different. Using a change detection task in which individual face features (eyes, nose, mouth) changed between sequentially presented faces, we found that while prosopagnosics showed a quantitative difference in performance with a downwards shift across all conditions, super-recognisers only showed qualitative differences: they were better able to detect when the face was the same and were marginally (but not non-significantly) worse at detecting when the eyes changed. Further, the only condition which distinguished between the three groups was the ability to identify when the same face was presented, with SRs being better than controls, and controls being better than DPs. Our findings suggest that, in feature-matching tasks, differences for DPs are due to them being overall worse at the task, while SRs use a qualitatively different strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodie Davies-Thompson
- School of Psychology, Vivian Tower, Faculty of Medicine, Human & Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK (J.R.T.)
| | - Daniel Morgan
- School of Psychology, Vivian Tower, Faculty of Medicine, Human & Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK (J.R.T.)
| | | | - John R. Towler
- School of Psychology, Vivian Tower, Faculty of Medicine, Human & Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK (J.R.T.)
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Pinto JO, Pontes D, Peixoto B, Dores AR, Barbosa F. Ecological validity of neuropsychological interventions: A systematic review. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2024:1-20. [PMID: 38588721 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2024.2328694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The concept of ecological validity (EV) in neuropsychological interventions (NI) has been consistently advocated, but there is a lack of reviews focused on how EV is operationalized in NI programmes. This review aims to address this gap by exploring the outcome measures more commonly used for assessing EV and to understand the main characteristics of programmes with good EV. METHOD A literature search was conducted to identify studies that examined the EV of NI programmes, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines. RESULTS A total of twenty-seven studies were included in this review. Among these, only three studies explicitly described the procedures used to assess EV. Additionally, almost half of the studies assumed that interventions had good EV based on the characteristics of the programmes. The inconsistent assessment of EV of NI programmes prevented the identification of specific characteristics of programmes demonstrating good EV. CONCLUSION This systematic review reveals a significant gap in the literature concerning the operationalization of EV within the field of NI. Further research is required to establish a consistent definition of EV in the context of NI and to develop criteria for its effective operationalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana O Pinto
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- ESS, Polytechnic of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Social, Behavioral Sciences of University Institute of Health Sciences - CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
| | - Diogo Pontes
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno Peixoto
- Department of Social, Behavioral Sciences of University Institute of Health Sciences - CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University Institute of Health Sciences - CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
- UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Translational Toxicology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Health Sciences, (1H-TOXRUN, IUCS-CESPU), Gandra, Portugal
| | - Artemisa R Dores
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- ESS, Polytechnic of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Center for Rehabilitation Research, ESS, Polytechnic of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Kho SK, Leong BQZ, Keeble DRT, Wong HK, Estudillo AJ. A new Asian version of the CFMT: The Cambridge Face Memory Test - Chinese Malaysian (CFMT-MY). Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:1192-1206. [PMID: 36971958 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02085-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) is one of the most important measures of individual differences in face recognition and for the diagnosis of prosopagnosia. Having two different CFMT versions using a different set of faces seems to improve the reliability of the evaluation. However, at the present time, there is only one Asian version of the test. In this study, we present the Cambridge Face Memory Test - Chinese Malaysian (CFMT-MY), a novel Asian CFMT using Chinese Malaysian faces. In Experiment 1, Chinese Malaysian participants (N = 134) completed two versions of the Asian CFMT and one object recognition test. The CFMT-MY showed a normal distribution, high internal reliability, high consistency and presented convergent and divergent validity. Additionally, in contrast to the original Asian CFMT, the CFMT-MY showed an increasing level of difficulties across stages. In Experiment 2, Caucasian participants (N = 135) completed the two versions of the Asian CFMT and the original Caucasian CFMT. Results showed that the CFMT-MY exhibited the other-race effect. Overall, the CFMT-MY seems to be suitable for the diagnosis of face recognition difficulties and could be used as a measure of face recognition ability by researchers who wish to examine face-related research questions such as individual differences or the other-race effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew Kei Kho
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Bryan Qi Zheng Leong
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - David R T Keeble
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hoo Keat Wong
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Alejandro J Estudillo
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole House Talbot Campus, BH12, Bournemouth, UK.
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8
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Bate S, Murray E, Bennetts RJ. Familial Transmission of Developmental Prosopagnosia: New Case Reports from an Extended Family and Identical Twins. Brain Sci 2024; 14:49. [PMID: 38248264 PMCID: PMC10813035 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Existing evidence suggests that developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a surprisingly prevalent condition, with some individuals describing lifelong difficulties with facial identity recognition. Together with case reports of multiple family members with the condition, this evidence suggests that DP is inherited in at least some instances. Here, we offer some novel case series that further support the heritability of the condition. First, we describe five adult siblings who presented to our lab with symptoms of DP. Second, for the first known time in the literature, we describe a pair of adult identical twins who contacted us in the belief that they both experience DP. The condition was confirmed in three of the five siblings (with minor symptoms observed in the remaining two) and in both twins. Supplementary assessments suggested that all individuals also experienced some degree of difficulty with facial identity perception, but that object recognition was preserved. These findings bolster the evidence supporting the heritability of DP and suggest that it can be a specific impairment in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Bate
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
| | - Ebony Murray
- Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ, UK;
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Fry R, Li X, Evans TC, Esterman M, Tanaka J, DeGutis J. Investigating the Influence of Autism Spectrum Traits on Face Processing Mechanisms in Developmental Prosopagnosia. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4787-4808. [PMID: 36173532 PMCID: PMC10812037 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05705-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Autism traits are common exclusionary criteria in developmental prosopagnosia (DP) studies. We investigated whether autism traits produce qualitatively different face processing in 43 DPs with high vs. low autism quotient (AQ) scores. Compared to controls (n = 27), face memory and perception were similarly deficient in the high- and low-AQ DPs, with the high-AQ DP group additionally showing deficient face emotion recognition. Task-based fMRI revealed reduced occipito-temporal face selectivity in both groups, with high-AQ DPs additionally demonstrating decreased posterior superior temporal sulcus selectivity. Resting-state fMRI showed similar reduced face-selective network connectivity in both DP groups compared with controls. Together, this demonstrates that high- and low-AQ DP groups have very similar face processing deficits, with additional facial emotion deficits in high-AQ DPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan Fry
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., 182JP, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xian Li
- Psychological and Brain Science Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Travis C Evans
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., 182JP, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Esterman
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., 182JP, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James Tanaka
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., 182JP, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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10
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Ma W, Xiao Z, Wu Y, Zhang X, Zheng D, Lei X, Han C. Face Blindness in Children and Current Interventions. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:676. [PMID: 37622816 PMCID: PMC10451769 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, struggle to recognize the faces of acquaintances, which can have a negative impact on their social interactions and overall functioning. This paper reviews existing research on interventions for children with prosopagnosia, including compensatory and remedial strategies, and provides a summary and comparison of their effectiveness. However, despite the availability of these interventions, their effectiveness remains limited and constrained by various factors. The lack of a widely accepted treatment for children with prosopagnosia emphasizes the need for further research to improve intervention strategies. Last, three future research directions were proposed to improve interventions for prosopagnosia, including ecological approaches, the social challenges faced by children, and new potential intervention methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weina Ma
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zeyu Xiao
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yannan Wu
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xiaoxian Zhang
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Dongwen Zheng
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xue Lei
- School of Business Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Chengyang Han
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
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11
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DeGutis J, Bahierathan K, Barahona K, Lee E, Evans TC, Shin HM, Mishra M, Likitlersuang J, Wilmer JB. What is the prevalence of developmental prosopagnosia? An empirical assessment of different diagnostic cutoffs. Cortex 2023; 161:51-64. [PMID: 36905701 PMCID: PMC10065901 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of developmental prosopagnosia (DP), lifelong face recognition deficits, is widely reported to be 2-2.5%. However, DP has been diagnosed in different ways across studies, resulting in differing prevalence rates. In the current investigation, we estimated the range of DP prevalence by administering well-validated objective and subjective face recognition measures to an unselected web-based sample of 3116 18-55 year-olds and applying DP diagnostic cutoffs from the last 14 years. We found estimated prevalence rates ranged from .64-5.42% when using a z-score approach and .13-2.95% when using a percentile approach, with the most commonly used cutoffs by researchers having a prevalence rate of .93% (z-score, .45% when using percentiles). We next used multiple cluster analyses to examine whether there was a natural grouping of poorer face recognizers but failed to find consistent grouping beyond those with generally above versus below average face recognition. Lastly, we investigated whether DP studies with more relaxed diagnostic cutoffs were associated with better performance on the Cambridge Face Perception Test. In a sample of 43 studies, there was a weak nonsignificant association between greater diagnostic strictness and better DP face perception accuracy (Kendall's tau-b correlation, τb =.18 z-score; τb = .11 percentiles). Together, these results suggest that researchers have used more conservative DP diagnostic cutoffs than the widely reported 2-2.5% prevalence. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using more inclusive cutoffs, such as identifying mild and major forms of DP based on DSM-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Kanisha Bahierathan
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Barahona
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - EunMyoung Lee
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Travis C Evans
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hye Min Shin
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maruti Mishra
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jirapat Likitlersuang
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy B Wilmer
- Department of Psychology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
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12
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Freud E, Di Giammarino D, Stajduhar A, Rosenbaum RS, Avidan G, Ganel T. Recognition of Masked Faces in the Era of the Pandemic: No Improvement Despite Extensive Natural Exposure. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:1635-1650. [DOI: 10.1177/09567976221105459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Face masks, which became prevalent across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic, have had a negative impact on face recognition despite the availability of critical information from uncovered face parts, especially the eyes. An outstanding question is whether face-mask effects would be attenuated following extended natural exposure. This question also pertains, more generally, to face-recognition training protocols. We used the Cambridge Face Memory Test in a cross-sectional study ( N = 1,732 adults) at six different time points over a 20-month period, alongside a 12-month longitudinal study ( N = 208). The results of the experiments revealed persistent deficits in recognition of masked faces and no sign of improvement across time points. Additional experiments verified that the amount of individual experience with masked faces was not correlated with the mask effect. These findings provide compelling evidence that the face-processing system does not easily adapt to visual changes in face stimuli, even following prolonged real-life exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erez Freud
- Department of Psychology and the Centre for Vision Research, York University
| | | | - Andreja Stajduhar
- Department of Psychology and the Centre for Vision Research, York University
| | - R. Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology and the Centre for Vision Research, York University
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Canada
| | - Galia Avidan
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
| | - Tzvi Ganel
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
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13
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Gobbo S, Calati R, Silveri MC, Pini E, Daini R. The rehabilitation of object agnosia and prosopagnosia: A systematic review. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2022; 40:217-240. [PMID: 36155537 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-211234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Agnosia for objects is often overlooked in neuropsychology, especially with respect to rehabilitation. Prosopagnosia has been studied more extensively, yet there have been few attempts at training it. The lack of training protocols may partially be accounted for by their relatively low incidence and specificity to sensory modality. However, finding effective rehabilitations for such deficits may help to reduce their impact on the social and psychological functioning of individuals. OBJECTIVE Our aim in this study was to provide clinicians and researchers with useful information with which to conduct new studies on the rehabilitation of object agnosia and prosopagnosia. To accomplish this, we performed a systematic and comprehensive review of the effect of neuropsychological rehabilitation on visual object and prosopagnosia. METHODS The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. In addition, the Single-Case Experimental Design (SCED) and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) scales were used to assess the quality of reporting. RESULTS Seven articles regarding object agnosia, eight articles describing treatments for prosopagnosia, and two articles describing treatments for both deficits were included. CONCLUSIONS In the light of the studies reviewed, treatments based on analysis of parts seem effective for object agnosia, while prosopagnosia appears to benefit most from treatments relying on holistic/configural processing. However, more attempts at rehabilitation of face and object agnosia are needed to clarify the mechanisms of these processes and possible rehabilitations. Moreover, a publication bias could mask a broader attempt to find effective treatments for visual agnosia and leaving out studies that are potentially more informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gobbo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Calati
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | | | - Elisa Pini
- Neuroscience Department "Fondazione Poliambulanza" Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Daini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (Neuromi)
- University Research Center in Opticsand Optometry, Università di Milano-Bicocca (Comib), Milano, Italy
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Bate S, Dalrymple K, Bennetts RJ. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac068. [PMID: 35386218 PMCID: PMC8977649 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While there have been decades of clinical and theoretical interest in developmental and acquired face recognition difficulties, very little work has examined their remediation. Here, we report two studies that examined the efficacy of an existing face training programme in improving face-processing skills in adults and children with developmental face recognition impairments. The programme has only been trialled in typical children to date, where 2 weeks of perceptual training (modelled on an adapted version of the popular family game Guess Who?) resulted in face-specific improvements for memory but not perception after 2 weeks of training. In Study 1, we performed a randomized, parallel groups, placebo-controlled trial of the same programme in 20 adults with a pre-existing diagnosis of developmental prosopagnosia. Assessment tasks were administered immediately before and after training, and 2 weeks later. Face-specific gains in memory (but not perception) were observed in the experimental group and were greatest in those with the poorest face recognition skills at entry. These gains persisted 2 weeks after training ceased. In Study 2, a case-series approach was used to administer the experimental version of the training programme to four children who presented with difficulties in face recognition. Improvements in face memory were observed in three of the participants; while one also improved at face perception, there was mixed evidence for the face specificity of these gains. Together, these findings suggest plasticity in the human face recognition system through to at least mid-adulthood and also pave the way for longer-term implementations of the face training programme that will likely elicit greater gains in both adults and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Bate
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
- Correspondence to: Professor Sarah Bate Department of Psychology Faculty of Science and Technology Bournemouth University Poole House Fern Barrow Poole BH12 5BB, UK E-mail:
| | - Kirsten Dalrymple
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Rachel J. Bennetts
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, UK
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15
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Long-term training reduces the responses to the sound-induced flash illusion. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 84:529-539. [PMID: 34518970 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02363-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The sound-induced flash illusion (SiFI) is a robust auditory-dominated multisensory integration phenomenon that is used as a reliable indicator to assess multisensory integration. Previous studies have indicated that the SiFI effect is correlated with perceptual sensitivity. However, to date, there is no consensus regarding how it corresponds to sensitivity with long-term training. The present study adopted the classic SiFI paradigm with feedback training to investigate the effect of a week of long-term training on the SiFI effect. Both the training group and control group completed a pretest and a posttest before and after the perceptual training; however, only the training group was required to complete 7-day behavioral training. The results showed that (1) long-term training could reduce the response of fission and fusion illusions by improving perceptual sensitivity and that (2) there was a "plateau effect" that emerged during the training stage, which tended to stabilize by the fifth day. These findings demonstrated that the SiFI effect could be modified with long-term training by ameliorating perceptual sensitivity, especially in terms of the fission illusion. Therefore, the present study supplements perceptual training in SiFI domains and provides evidence that the SiFI could be used as an assessment intervention to improve the efficiency of multisensory integration.
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16
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Rehabilitation of visual disorders. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 178:361-386. [PMID: 33832686 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821377-3.00015-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
While there is a long history of rehabilitation for motor deficits following cerebral lesions, less is known about our ability to improve visual deficits. Vision therapy, prisms, occluders, and filters have been advocated for patients with mild traumatic brain injury, on the premise that some of their symptoms may reflect abnormal visual or ocular motor function, but the evidence for their efficacy is modest. For hemianopia, attempts to restore vision have had unimpressive results, though it appears possible to generate blindsight through training. Strategic approaches that train more efficient use of visual search in hemianopia have shown consistent benefit in visual function, while prism aids may help some patients. There are many varieties of alexia. Strategic adaptation of saccades can improve hemianopic alexia, but there has been less work and mixed results for pure alexia, neglect dyslexia, attentional dyslexia, and the central dyslexias. A number of approaches have been tried in prosopagnosia, with recent studies of small groups suggesting that face perception of prosopagnosic subjects can be enhanced through perceptual learning.
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Barton JJS, Davies-Thompson J, Corrow SL. Prosopagnosia and disorders of face processing. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 178:175-193. [PMID: 33832676 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821377-3.00006-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Face recognition is a form of expert visual processing. Acquired prosopagnosia is the loss of familiarity for facial identity and has several functional variants, namely apperceptive, amnestic, and associative forms. Acquired forms are usually caused by either occipitotemporal or anterior temporal lesions, right or bilateral in most cases. In addition, there is a developmental form, whose functional and structural origins are still being elucidated. Despite their difficulties with recognizing faces, some of these subjects still show signs of covert recognition, which may have a number of explanations. Other aspects of face perception can be spared in prosopagnosic subjects. Patients with other types of face processing difficulties have been described, including impaired expression processing, impaired lip-reading, false familiarity for faces, and a people-specific amnesia. Recent rehabilitative studies have shown some modest ability to improve face perception in prosopagnosic subjects through perceptual training protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J S Barton
- Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Jodie Davies-Thompson
- Face Research Swansea, Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Sketty, United Kingdom
| | - Sherryse L Corrow
- Visual Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN, United States
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18
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Murray E, Bate S. Diagnosing developmental prosopagnosia: repeat assessment using the Cambridge Face Memory Test. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200884. [PMID: 33047048 PMCID: PMC7540801 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a cognitive condition characterized by a relatively selective impairment in face recognition. Currently, people are screened for DP via a single attempt at objective face-processing tests, usually all presented on the same day. However, several variables probably influence performance on these tests irrespective of actual ability, and the influence of repeat administration is also unknown. Here, we assess, for the first known time, the test-retest reliability of the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)-the leading task used worldwide to diagnose DP. This value was found to fall just below psychometric standards, and single-case analyses revealed further inconsistencies in performance that were not driven by testing location (online or in-person), nor the time-lapse between attempts. Later administration of an alternative version of the CFMT (the CFMT-Aus) was also found to be valuable in confirming borderline cases. Finally, we found that performance on the first 48 trials of the CFMT was equally as sensitive as the full 72-item score, suggesting that the instrument may be shortened for testing efficiency. We consider the implications of these findings for existing diagnostic protocols, concluding that two independent tasks of unfamiliar face memory should be completed on separate days.
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Djouab S, Albonico A, Yeung SC, Malaspina M, Mogard A, Wahlberg R, Corrow SL, Barton JJS. Search for Face Identity or Expression: Set Size Effects in Developmental Prosopagnosia. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:889-905. [PMID: 31905091 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The set size effect during visual search indexes the effects of processing load and thus the efficiency of perceptual mechanisms. Our goal was to investigate whether individuals with developmental prosopagnosia show increased set size effects when searching faces for face identity and how this compares to search for face expression. We tested 29 healthy individuals and 13 individuals with developmental prosopagnosia. Participants were shown sets of three to seven faces to judge whether the identities or expressions of the faces were the same across all stimuli or if one differed. The set size effect was the slope of the linear regression between the number of faces in the array and the response time. Accuracy was similar in both controls and prosopagnosic participants. Developmental prosopagnosic participants displayed increased set size effects in face identity search but not in expression search. Single-participant analyses reveal that 11 developmental prosopagnosic participants showed a putative classical dissociation, with impairments in identity but not expression search. Signal detection theory analysis showed that identity set size effects were highly reliable in discriminating prosopagnosic participants from controls. Finally, the set size ratios of same to different trials were consistent with the predictions of self-terminated serial search models for control participants and prosopagnosic participants engaged in expression search but deviated from those predictions for identity search by the prosopagnosic cohort. We conclude that the face set size effect reveals a highly prevalent and selective perceptual inefficiency for processing face identity in developmental prosopagnosia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Djouab
- University of British Columbia.,University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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