Brad Pitt’s Face Blindness Condition; What You Should Know
In a recent interview, actor Brad Pitt’s Face Blindness revealed that he suffers from prosopagnosia, a rare neurological disorder known as face blindness. Mr. Pitt, 58, has never formally analyzed the condition, but he admitted to GQ that he had struggled to recognize people’s faces for years.
In 2013, he said to Esquire that his inability to recognize people’s faces had gotten so bad that he wanted to isolate himself. “That’s why I stay at home,” he explained.
The New York Times spoke with experts about the condition’s symptoms, causes, and treatments.
What are the signs also symptoms of prosopagnosia?
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders also Stroke, the condition is unrelated to memory loss, vision impairment, or learning disabilities.
According to Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour, a behavioral neurologist at Northwestern Medicine, prosopagnosia is only face blindness, not color blindness or overall visual impairment. It is not the same as forgetfulness or occasionally having difficulty finding the right word.
The severity of prosopagnosia varies; some people with the condition may have difficulty recognizing a familiar face. Such as a friend or family member, while others may be unable to recognize their reflections. In addition, some people may struggle to distinguish between faces and objects.
There is also evidence that people with prosopagnosia may develop chronic anxiety or depression due to isolation and fear. Navigating fundamental social interactions with prosopagnosia can be difficult. Some people avoid contact with family members and other loved ones for fear of being unable to recognize or address them adequately.
What factors contribute to prosopagnosia?
People with prosopagnosia are divide into two groups. Those born with the condition and those who develop it later in life.
Neurologists typically diagnose prosopagnosia through a battery of tests that assess a person’s ability to remember and recognize faces. It can be time-consuming, as doctors often take great care to ensure that a patient’s face blindness is not a symptom of a more serious degenerative neurological condition.
Many people with the condition, such as Mr. Pitt, will never receive a formal diagnosis. But, “Many of the challenges he’s describing, the problems he’s having, are not unusual for people who have it,” Dr. Stojic said.
“It can be somewhat debilitating for people,” he added. “It’s difficult for others to understand.”
