If you’ve ever beheld the peculiar portraits of Prosopometamorphopsia Pablo Picasso or Francis Bacon, you might not find it surprising to learn that both artists may have grappled with a disorder that alters how faces are perceived.
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Prosopometamorphopsia
Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) is a condition characterized by distorted facial appearances, sometimes even evoking a demonic quality. Typically, these distortions affect both images and real-life encounters, making it challenging for individuals to accurately assess facial depictions due to the inherent distortions.
However, a recent case study shed new light on PMO. Unlike most instances, a 58-year-old man (referred to as VS) experienced images of faces without distortion. Regrettably, over the past 31 months, every face he encountered in person appeared elongated and unsettlingly “demonic.”
PMO, distinct from prosopagnosia (which involves poor face recognition without visual distortions), is considered exceptionally rare. Those afflicted perceive faces as sagging, stretched, displaced, or disproportionate, affecting the entire face or specific features like the nose and mouth.
What Causes Prosopometamorphopsia?
In contrast to prosopagnosia, which can be either acquired or developmental, PMO appears to result solely from acquired conditions. A 2021 study reviewing 81 PMO cases identified various causes, including brain infarction, hemorrhagic stroke, surgery complications, head injury, and brain tumors. However, in 24% of cases, no structural brain abnormalities were detected, with PMO often associated with conditions like epilepsy, migraine, and schizophrenia.
Reassuringly, most individuals with PMO tend to recover, either partially or fully, often attributed to treatments addressing the underlying cause or spontaneous recovery. Recovery durations vary from hours to years, typically occurring within days to weeks.
Does PMO Affect Face Recognition?
Despite experiencing profound facial distortions, individuals with PMO usually retain their ability to recognize faces, often relying on alternate cues like voice or attire. Some may only experience distortions after prolonged exposure to a face, allowing for initial identification. Studies also suggest that the distance between the viewer and face influences recognition accuracy.
A recent study focused on a man known as VS, who experienced facial distortions but retained normal perception of facial images. Researchers produced photorealistic visualizations of his distortions, shedding light on how PMO impacts interpersonal encounters. VS’s distortions were also influenced by color, with green filters reducing and red filters intensifying distortions, indicating that color perception affects face shape perception.
What Can We Learn?
As research on PMO progresses, we stand to gain deeper insights into facial perception. Questions regarding the neural representation of faces and the specific nature of PMO’s distortions remain unanswered. Nevertheless, PMO presents a captivating yet unsettling phenomenon that could offer valuable insights into human face perception.
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