Just imagine how terrifying it would be if every face you see appears distorted. This isn't a scene from a movie; it's a real-life condition.
A recent study reported a unique case where a patient perceives every face as twisted and distorted, a rare condition known as Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO). This study, for the first time, provides accurate and vivid visualizations of facial distortions experienced by PMO patients.
Published online on March 23 in The Lancet, the study describes a 58-year-old male PMO patient who sees faces as twisted, with "severe stretching, furrows on the forehead, cheeks, and chin," describing them as "demonic," a phenomenon that has persisted for 31 months, causing significant distress and inconvenience in his life.
Interestingly, while faces appear distorted, he does not experience distortions when looking at objects like houses or cars. Additionally, faces viewed on computer screens or paper appear normal, but when facing real individuals, he perceives their faces as distorted.
Most PMO cases involve distortions in all situations, making his case particularly rare, piquing the interest of researchers at Dartmouth College in the United States and providing a unique opportunity to accurately "recreate" the distortions he sees.
In this study, researchers took photographs of a person's face. They then showed the patient this photo on a computer screen while also presenting the actual face of the same person.
Using computer software, researchers modified the photo to match the distortions perceived by the patient, obtaining real-time feedback on the differences between the facial photo on the screen and the actual face in front of him.
"Through this process, we were able to visualize the patient's real-time perception of facial distortions," said Antônio Mello, the first author of the paper and a doctoral student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College, a feat that was previously unattainable in similar studies.
Researchers have used computers to reconstruct the distorted faces seen by PMO patients. Image source: Mello
Antônio Mello (left) and Brad Duchaine (right) Image Source: Robert Gill
This research holds significant implications for individuals with PMO, aiding in preventing misdiagnosis. Researchers noted that in their study of other PMO cases, some participants had been mistaken for psychiatric patients.
The lead author of the paper, Brad Duchaine, a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College, stated, "We've heard from several PMO patients who were diagnosed by psychiatrists with schizophrenia and prescribed antipsychotic medications."
The research team aims to increase public awareness of PMO through their paper.
Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00136-3
