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HAYLEY MICK

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:43 PM EDT 18/01/08

2 per cent of the population may experience prosopagnosia, a neurological condition in which a person with normal eyesight is unable to recognize faces ...Read the full article

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  1. RD Lone from Vancouver, Canada writes: I think 2% is a huge longshot. Sure.. if you include anyone who has ever forgotten a face.
  2. David Demner from Vancouver, BC, Canada writes: RD Lone - maybe that means you're one of the 2% ;)
  3. Art Critic from Canada writes: I have this problem when I look at Burt Reynolds now.
  4. dee jay from Canada writes:
    RD, I think they mean 2% of people show some symptoms, not the full blown disorder. Could be a spectral disorder like Autism. Not everyone has the full disorder, in fact many people with Asperger's walk among us and you'd have no idea that they are slightly Autistic. When you get to know them, you recognize that they are extremely intelligent in their areas of expertise, passionate, outgoing, but yet walk to the beat of a different drum. Who would have guessed it's mild Autism?

    Fascinating that the human brain could develop in such as way as to put immense importance on face recognition, which is vital to human society. Amazing that if this area of the brain is malfunctioning, a person can see all the parts but can't link it to any particular person. We see thousands of faces, and if we recognize one a light goes off, even if the person is older, fatter, or thinner than the last time. The finger print reader on my computer doesn't even work half the time.
  5. Ethel Barr from Toronto, Canada writes: I think I suffer from that - I watch electoral debates and as far as I can tell, everyone there looks and sounds the same.
  6. Rob Cross from Vancouver, Canada writes: I'm Rob from that story, and I'm really curious if 2% of the population does have prosopagnosia like I do. More than 2,000 people were included in the research that determined that stat, so it's at least possible. You can read about the research at
    http://gladwinmedical.blogspot.com/2006/08/congenital-prosopagnosia.html
    and http://www.michaelbalter.com/HominidHighlights06/06032006%7CFace_blindness.php
  7. gloria garvey from Canada writes: People sure are funny. I think if I had this disorder, I'd explain it to everyone I knew, and develop the habit of saying "I'm sorry, but I have this thing wrong with my brain that makes it so I can't recognize people--please tell me your name." Anyone who had it explained once would likely remember to identify themselves the next time. Is there an aural version of this? I have an awful time recognizing voices on the phone, often have to ask who is calling, and wonder whatever happened to the custom of identifying yourself when you call someone.
  8. harry carnie from Northern, B.C., Canada writes: Gee...............I can recognize faces..but cannot remember their names, and where I have seen them.
    In MY CASE;
    This is a very uncomplicated problem..it is called OLD AGE.
  9. A. C. Mills from United States writes: Yes, there really are approximately 1.5 in 100 either born with this condition or develop it in infancy, and it is "full blown". When was the last time you had a conversation with anyone about recognizing faces as a way of identifying someone? Never? Since no one talks about it, it is easy to grow up thinking that people who recognize faces are exceptional. You have to hear or read about it to realize that everybody, but you, CAN remember a face after seeing it just once or at least be able to say they have never seen the face before. You can tell everyone you know you have PA, but most may not believe you or make any effort to make your life easier by telling you who they are every time. Go to the Findaface dot org web site to find out more and see the stories on the "links" page to hear real people with this condition and the doctors who study it. My sister (who has normal face recognition capabilities) was adamant when she said her daughter (age 42) didn't have it, but a week or so later, my niece called me up to say she did. She, like me, had not realized the extent of face recognition capbilities of the average person. It's great to see articles like this in the paper. Too bad it seems not to have been taken seriously.
  10. Rob Cross from Vancouver, Canada writes: You ask why we don't tell people we have it. Well, telling people we have something wrong with our brains gives them a bad impression. Would you like telling everyone there's something wrong with your brain?

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