Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness)

Prosopagnosia, also called face blindness, refers to the difficulty or inability to recognize and distinguish faces, although vision itself is intact. Affected individuals often recognize known persons by voice, gait, or clothing, not by face. The developmental form affects about 2% of the population. Studies show an above-average overlap with aphantasia: many people with aphantasia also have difficulty imagining or recognizing faces. The fusiform face area (FFA) in the temporal lobe is central to face recognition. In prosopagnosia, this area is often underactive or incorrectly connected. The combination of aphantasia and prosopagnosia can make social situations difficult, as faces can neither be well remembered nor imagined.