Hereditary prosopagnosia

Aims: We present the hereditary prosopagnosia. In this Phenomenon sufferers have little or no ability to recognize famous persons by their faces. Since 2006 the hereditary prosopagnosia is presented in the OMIM register. In psychiatric Disorders such as schizophrenia and autism this phenomenon is often seen. Children can already show these problems in recognizing faces. This symptoms can be very similar to autistic criteria. In general sufferers are not easily being detected.

Methods: By a questionnaire-screening persons with problems in face-recognition were detected. These persons and their family members were diagosed by an interview to have prosopagnosia or normal face- recognition. By these means family pedigrees of 12 families were established.

Results: In these families 18% of persons were found to have prosopagnosia. A autosomal dominant segregation with limited penetration could be proved. Some of the sufferers reported to have had symptoms (missing eye-contact etc) already present in childhood.

Conclusion: Knowledge about the hereditary prosopagnosia as an isolated phenomenon is important because sufferes show Symptoms with are similar to psychiatric disorders (e.g. Autism). Here it could be prevented to undergo long diagnostic an treatment episodes.