Prosopagnosia Research Centers at Harvard University and University College London

Other Recognition Impairments

We have focused our discussion on prosopagnosia, but there are many other types of recognition impairments. Many of these impairments have been documented in very few individuals, so we have little understanding of these conditions.

Agnosias - A number of cases have shown normal recognition for some types of objects and impaired recognition for other types of objects. One of the most common divisions is between animate and inanimate objects, but other dissociations have been reported.

Metamorphopsia - Perceptual distortions of the face.

Delusional Misidentification - Normal recognition of a face (and sometimes other stimuli), but denial that it is truly that individual.

Capgras Syndrome - Believe that familiar acquaintances have been replaced by replicas.

Fregoli Syndrome - Believe that familiar individuals are disguised as others.

Intermetamorphosis - Physical appearance may radically change to that of someone else.

Neglect - Lack of attention to one-half of the visual field or to one-half of an object. One case showed neglect limited to the left half of faces.