For the first time, scientists have obtained realistic images of the “evil” faces seen by a patient with a rare disease. They were published in the magazine Lancet.
Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) is a condition in which a person’s perception of faces is distorted. There is also metamorphopsia, in which distortion affects not only the face.
In a new study, scientists obtained images of the faces seen by a 58-year-old man. This was possible due to the uniqueness of his condition: real faces appear “evil” to him, but he sees facial images normally on a screen or on paper. Typically, people with PMO see distorted faces both on screen and in reality.
For the research, scientists photographed a person’s face. They then showed the patient the photo on the computer screen while looking at the real face of the same person. He told them in real time the difference between the face on the screen and the real face in front of him. Scientists edited the photo using his descriptions.
During the search for study participants, scientists were faced with the fact that many patients were misdiagnosed.
“We have heard from many people with PMO that psychiatrists diagnosed them with schizophrenia and prescribed antipsychotic medications, but that their condition was a problem with the visual system, not the mental. And often, people with PMO do not tell others about their face perception problems because they are afraid others will assume the distortions are a sign of a mental disorder ” said Brad Duchesne, senior author and professor of psychological and brain sciences.
The first patient to previously receive a Neuralink implant was played Play chess using your thinking power.