Critical Review of Methodological Issue

Posted: December 22nd, 2022

Critical Review of Methodological Issue

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Critical Review of Methodological Issue

Introduction

People suffer from different conditions some of which are easy to treat yet others are lifelong disorders that are not easy to rectify. Prosopagnosia also referred to as face blindness is a cognitive problem associated with recognizing a person’s face. Usually, people suffering the condition are unable to recognize other familiar faces, but the situation can be serious such that it becomes hard to identify even one’s face (Corrow et al., 2016). Other forms of visual processing and intellectual functions, however, remain intact. Originally many scholars believed that one would acquire prosopagnosia due to severe brain damage in what is called acquired prosopagnosia, but later learned that a developmental or congenital form of the ailment also exists, which may cause issues up to 2.6% of people (Corrow et al., 2016). The fusiform gyrus located in the brain is responsible for causing prosopagnosia in the way it activates when reacting or identifying particular faces. The fusiform gyrus make it possible for many people to identify faces more effectively and in detail than it happens with other inanimate items, although individuals with prosopagnosia need to rely on other less sensitive ways of recognizing objects (Corrow et al., 2016). Apparently the treatment of prosopagnosia seems to be a difficult process, which requires researchers to perform more research into the area to find effective solutions to the health condition.

Types of Prosopagnosia

The people suffering from the condition or the scholars seeking to acquire more insight into the condition need to know the various types of prosopagnosia a person could experience. Appreceptive prosopagnosia is one of the forms, and mostly refers to a type of acquired prosopagnosia with some of the initial processes in the system regulating face perception (Corrow et al., 2016). The right occipital temporal areas of the brain are perceived to serve vital roles in causing apperceptive prosopagnosia, and it happens that the people suffering from the condition have difficulties recognizing faces, and are not in a position to judge between the same and different when they have to distinguish when choosing from different faces (Corrow et al., 2016). The individuals suffering from the condition have much problem recognizing both familiar and unfamiliar people, and a person might be unable to recognize facial emotions when they suffer from certain sub-types of apperceptive prosopagnosia.

It is vital to understand the differences between associative and developmental prosopagnosia that also make it difficult to identify faces. Albonico and Barton (2019) relate associative prosopagnosia (AP) with early development, and usually depend on how people store information in their memories. The individuals suffering from the condition can differentiate the faces of people they see on picture, and can even tell their sex and age, but may lack the ability to offer additional information about the person such as their occupation, name, or when they last met or interacted. The third type is developmental prosopagnosia (DP), which is perceived to be a lifelong problem (Corrow et al., 2016). Many scholars believe that developmental prosopagnosia is as a result of genetic factors. It happens that people suffering from ailments such as nonverbal learning disorder and autism spectrum disorder are at higher risks of developing developmental prosopagnosia at some point in their lives.

Causes

Scans involving positron emission tomography reveal that, in people who do not have prosopagnosia, the brain locations become active upon responding to certain face stimuli (Wegrzyn et al., 2019). Acquired prosopagnosia, on the other hand, could develop upon encountering incidents that would cause neural damage. Furthermore, vascular problems could lead to prosopagnosia, which could be due to hemorrhages in the temporo-occipital part of the brain (Wegrzyn et al., 2019). The malfunctions can either be unilateral or bilateral, but usually occur in the right hemisphere of the brain when they are unilateral. Recent findings expose that damaging the right hemisphere, especially the temporo-occipital parts is enough to cause prosopagnosia. An MRI scan of individuals living with prosopagnosia revealed lesions aligned to the right hemisphere, but the evaluation showed the left hemisphere functions well even as someone lives with the condition (Wegrzyn et al., 2019). Albonico and Barton (2019) argue that the face recognition problems caused by damages in the left hemisphere are as a result of hindrance in retrieving information from certain parts of the brain such as the visual modality. Some of the other reasons that could lead to cases of prosopagnosia include trauma, Alzheimer’s disease, poisoning from carbon monoxide gas, and Parkinson’s disease, thereby making it necessary to seek medical assistance in case one experiences one of these risk factors.

Treatment and Rehabilitation

Medical experts and researchers still try to find out whether appropriate ways of treating prosopagnosia because until today no widely accepted treatment approaches exist. Whereas some feel that it is possible to address prosopagnosia through training, other feel that it would depend with the type of problem one has. It is possible to speculate that the efficiency of the training approaches employed to help a person living with acquired prosopagnosia could vary depending on a number of factors such as the location, duration since the start (Corrow et al., 2016). Considering that acquired prosopagnosia is rare, it is quite difficult to determine the effects of each of the factors. Only a few approaches to deal with the acquired variant exist presently, most of which pay attention to developing coping mechanisms to avoid inadequate face recognition (Corrow et al., 2016). The deficiency in treating people with prosopagnosia indicate that investigators need to put more effort into identifying appropriate mechanisms for helping individuals suffering from the condition. Health facilities should develop more interest in hiring practitioners who have adequate knowledge on the issue to help people who suffer from the various forms of prosopagnosia.

Cultural Perspective and Methodological Issues

Scholars now conduct studies to identify how societies and cultures view prosopagnosia and some findings already reveal that people have different perceptions about the condition. Researchers tend to focus on areas that have large populations because it is easier to find people living with the condition. Whereas some cultures still find it difficult to understand how prosopagnosia affect patients, some developed societies understand the condition is a disorder like any other that can be rectified using appropriate therapeutic methods (Albonico & Barton, 2019). Nonetheless, the condition still generates social disturbance in many communities, especially when one of the family members live with the condition.

Researchers and health practitioners have always held the perception that it is difficult to improve face processing in patients suffering from prosopagnosia. Though some studies have tried to improve face processing among patients for the last half a century, proof for proper treatment is just beginning to develop. Albonico and Barton (2019) considering the diversified approaches investigators apply to identify if it is possible to treat prosopagnosia inform that developmental prosopagnosia is a lifelong condition, and it is rare to witness natural recovery of acquired prosopagnosia. Lack of definite approach for treating prosopagnosia makes the need of developing face recognition competence in these patients a matter of clinical concern. Degutis et al. (2014), for example, review the relevant literature on natural recovery in AP, as well as medical attempts in AP and DP using Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Pubmed as search platforms. Degutis et al. (2014) used prosopagnosia as the keyword, but used other keywords such as therapy, training, rehabilitation, restoration, and recovery. The surveyors included both book chapters and peer-reviewed empirical, and focused their attention to AP and DP. Other studies, however, employ samples who join the study depending on the sampling approach the investigators choose to use, which could either be stratified or random sampling (Stollhoff, 2010). Other investigators also employ the use of case studies as it comes out in the article by Wegrzyn et al. (2019). The investigators look into the case of a 30-year old woman called J who reports being unable to identify herself, her husband, and her parents. Usually, investigators would settle on a methodological approach that meets their needs and fall within their resources.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Prosopagnosia from Multiple View Points 

Escalating evidence supports the perception that face recognition relies on domain-oriented structure that not focus on processing words. Contrary, the recent models of visual identification holds that the areas of the brain responsible recognizing words and face are interconnected (Burns et al., 2017).  It is vital, however, to understand some of the strengths and weaknesses of prosopagnosia while considering different viewpoints.

One of the major strengths in the area dealing with the condition is researchers create hope that it is possible to rectify prosopagnosia despite the fears that the condition may be difficult to treat. Degutis et al. (2014) assert that clinicians and researchers have largely held that face processing is difficult to improve when suffering from the condition. Though a number of studies have tried to develop face processing in patients living with the condition over the past several years, proof for proper treatment has just started to show (Susilo & Duchaine, 2013). Current developments reveal that it is possible to rectify developmental prosopagnosia using compensatory training. Current researchers also find that administering oxytocin and applying remedial training have shown significant outcome on improving developmental prosopagnosia in adults. Otherwise, patients living with the disorder would be worried that they might never become well.

Another strength in prosopagnosia is modern investigators continue to develop theoretical concepts that increase awareness on the subject thereby making it easy for therapists and patients to deal with the condition. Susilo (2018) asserts that associated object and face deficits in patients living with the disorder may reflect problem in early development of sensory processes, or deficiencies of common perceptual actions for objects and faces. Susilo’s (2018) perception is that the practitioners in this area need to go past behavioral information and utilize tools such as EEG and eye tracking, which will create room for more accurate identification of particular faces.

One major weakness with prosopagnosia is it tampers with face recognition abilities, which create much problem to the patients. Esnis et al. (2014) and Murray et al. (2018) inform that congenital prosopagnosia that develops from within, as well as the other-race effect that makes it hard to recognize people from other races tamper with a person’s recognition abilities. Esins et al. (2014) seek to inquire whether both conditions affect face processing in the same way by testing 21 participants from various cultures. The study exposes that a person’s race could determine their ability to recognize faces almost in the same manner as congenital prosopagnosia. Individuals living with congenital prosopagnosia, however, experience more difficulty, unless compensatory forces are available (Dalrymple et al., 2014 and Palemo et al., 2011). The idea that prosopagnosia still affect the ability to recognize faces of many patients imply that it is necessary to act very fast to find suitable remedies to the condition.

Conclusion

The study illustrates the causes of prosopagnosia, and provides information on how a person can diagnose the condition. A person can either suffer from apperceptive or associative prosopagnosia due to malfunctions in certain parts of the brain, or could live with developmental prosopagnosia, which occur as a result of genetic malfunctions. Studies, however, reveal that someone can develop prosopagnosia due to other reasons, making it necessary to seek medical assistance when someone think they have problems identifying others. The study illustrates how children may experience considerable challenges when suffering from the condition, and further shows how scholars nowadays have the desire to find the appropriate treatment for the condition. The researchers should employ various mechanisms to increase awareness on how various cultures perceive the disorder because this could improve the likelihood for finding appropriate therapeutic interventions.

References

Albonico, A., & Barton, J. (2019). Progress in perceptual research: The case of prosopagnosia. F1000 Research, doi: 10.12688/f1000research.18492.1

Burns, E., et al. (2017). Intact word processing in developmental prosopagnosia. Nature Partner Journals, 7. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01917-8

Corrow, S., Dalrymple, K., & Barton, J. (2016). Prosopagnosia: Current perspectives. Eye and Brain, 8, 165-175.

Dalrymple, K., et al. (2014). “A room full of strangers every day”: The psychosocial impact of developmental prosopagnosia on children and their families. 77(2), 144-150.

DeGutis, J., et al. (2014). Face processing improvements in prosopagnosia: Success and failures over the last 50 years. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8(561), doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00561

Esins, J., et al. (2014). Do congenital prosopagnosia and the other-race effect affect the same face recognition mechanisms? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00759

Murray, E., et al. (2018). Identifying hallmark symptoms of developmental prosopanosia for non-experts. Nature Partner Journals, 8. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-20089-7

Palermo, R., et al. (2011). Impaired holistic coding of facial expression and facial identity in congenital prosopagnosia. Neuropsychologia, 49(5), 1226-1235.

Stollhoff, R., et al. (2010). The early time course of compensatory face processing in congenital prosopanosia. PlosONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011482

Susilo, T. (2018). The face of specificity of lifelong prosopagnosia. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 35(1-2), 1-3.

Susilo, T., & Duchaine, B. (2013). Advances in developmental prosopagnosis research. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 22(3), 423-429.

Wegrzyn, M., et al. (2019). The hidden identity of faces: A case of lifelong prosopagnosia. BMC Psychology, 7(4). Retrieved from https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0278-z