Abnormal Configural Face Perception in a Patient with Right Anterior Temporal Lobe Atrophy

Abstract

Face perception is a vital aspect of human social functioning and involves specialized cognitive and neural mechanisms. For example, configural face processing involves determining the relationship between the parts of the face, and this process enables us to differentiate between different faces. Here, we report an unusual case in which right anterior temporal lobe atrophy resulted in a profound deficit in the ability to recognize faces. We demonstrate that this patient is not able to process faces via configural information, raising the possibility that the right anterior temporal lobe has a role in configural face processing.

We would like to thank BD and the control participant for their eager cooperation in these experiments. We would also like to thank Prof. John Hodges for his comments on BD's PET findings and subsequent suggestion that clinical investigation of BD's face recognition ability would inform her diagnosis, and Anina Rich for her suggestions on an earlier draft of this manuscript.