Work

A taxometric analysis of developmental prosopagnosia: Evidence for a categorically distinct impairment

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Poor performance on cognitive assessment tasks may indicate a selective 'impairment'. However, it is unclear whether such difficulties separate the individual from the general population qualitatively (i.e., they form a discrete group) or quantitatively (i.e., they represent the lower end of a continuous distribution). Taxometric methods address this question but have rarely been applied to cognitive disorders. This study examined the latent structure of developmental prosopagnosia (DP) - a relatively selective deficit in face recognition that occurs in the absence of neurological injury. Multiple taxometric procedures were applied to dominant diagnostic indices of face recognition ability across two independent datasets. All analyses supported a categorical outcome, even for mild cases of DP, suggesting that it is a qualitatively distinct condition. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of DP given it has traditionally been viewed as a continuous impairment. In particular, existing (arbitrary) diagnostic cut-offs may be too conservative, underestimating prevalence rates and prohibiting big-data approaches to theoretical study. More broadly, these conclusions support application of the taxometric method to many other cognitive processes where weaknesses are predominantly assumed to reside on a continuous distribution.

Source: Cortex

DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.10.021

Authors: Sarah Bate, Emma Portch, Rachel J. Bennetts, Benjamin A. Parris

Institutions: Bournemouth University, Brunel University of London

Language: English

Topic: Face Recognition and Perception

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,560