Anecdotal evidence suggests a relation between impaired spatial (navigational) processing and developmental prosopagnosia (DP). To address this formally, we tested nine individuals with DP and 18 matched controls on a four-choice match-to-sample test of (concurrent) topographical perception and topographical short-term memory (2 sec delay). The stimulus material consisted of computer-generated mountain landscapes shown from seven different viewpoints. In comparison with controls, the individuals with DP had no difficulty in perceiving the spatial aspects of the landscapes, but some were impaired in the short-term retention of these mountain landscapes. No systematic relationship (correlation) was found between recognition memory for faces and landscapes. Indeed, three cases with DP showed a statistically significant classical dissociation between these domains. Additional testing revealed that the deficit in topographical memory did not relate systematically to impaired visual short-term memory or recognition of more complex material. In conclusion, some individuals with DP show subtle deficits in topographical memory. Importantly, the deficits in topographical memory and face recognition do not seem to reflect the same functional impairment.

Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2016