Actor Brad Pitt revealed in a recent interview that he suffers from prosopagnosia, a rare neurological disorder also known as “facial blindness.”
Dani Blum describes the disorder’s signs, causes, and remedies in an article for the New York Times.
Borna Bonakdarpour, a behavioral neurologist at Northwestern Medicine, claims that face blindness—not color blindness or general vision impairment—is the main symptom of prosopagnosia.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that there is no connection between the illness and memory loss, vision problems, or learning impairments.
Blum continues, “It is not the same as forgetting or occasionally having trouble finding the correct word.
The severity of prosopagnosia will differ from person to person.
For instance, some people might have problems identifying a familiar face, such as that of a close friend or relative, while others might have trouble identifying their own reflection.
Additionally, some people might not be able to distinguish between faces and objects.
Notably, some data indicates that individuals with prosopagnosia may have chronic anxiety or depression due to the loneliness and fear that are frequently associated with the illness.
Blum notes that some people avoid contact with family members and other loved ones out of concern that they won’t be able to properly recognize or acknowledge them.
“Navigating basic social relationships with prosopagnosia can become difficult,” she says.
Pitt admitted that he has trouble recognizing people’s faces for years in a recent interview with GQ, despite never having gotten a formal prosopagnosia diagnosis.
In fact, Pitt claimed in a 2013 interview with Esquire that his difficulty recognizing people’s appearances was so great that it frequently made him want to isolate himself.
He explained, “That’s why I stay at home.
What is the condition’s cause?
People who are diagnosed with prosopagnosia often fall into one of two categories: either they are born with it or they acquire it.
However, estimations reveal that as many as one in every 50 people may struggle with some lifetime form of the disorder, and experts hypothesize that it may run in families.
According to Blum, research “suggests that congenital, or lifelong, prosopagnosia is less prevalent.”
According to Andrey Stojic, director of general neurology at the Cleveland Clinic, children born with the illness “don’t seem to have any visible structural abnormality” in the brain.
Notably, doctors don’t fully understand what causes congenital prosopagnosia because there aren’t any obvious brain lesions in persons who have it.
In contrast, people who develop prosopagnosia later in life may have brain abnormalities brought on by a trauma or head injury.
According to Bonakdarpour, individuals can also develop prosopagnosia while dealing with Alzheimer’s illness or following a stroke.
What therapies are available for prosopagnosia?
Prosopagnosia is now untreatable, according to Bonakdarpour. The problem can be treated, though.
People who have the syndrome frequently attempt to distinguish between people by focusing on physical characteristics like hair color, gait, or voice.
20 families had previously rejected an ‘unusual’ girl before a single man adopted her
The story of this cute family of two started when little Alba, who was just 13 days old back then, was rejected by 20 adoptive families.
The decision made by all these people not to embrace the special little girl turned lucky for the 41-year-old Italian Luca Trapanese.
When he filled in the adoption papers, Luca didn’t really believe the social services would allow him to become the legal father of Alba as in the country where he is from it is not common for single, homosexual man to be granted custody.
But, as all those families didn’t want to adopt a child with Down Syndrome, and Luca was more than happy to have such child in his life, he took Alba in and became her legal daddy.
The moment he welcomed sweet Alba into his life, he became the happiest person on Earth. Speaking of his daughter and his case, he said it was very special because it “destroys stereotypes about fatherhood, religion and family.”
The journey of these father and daughter started back in 2017 and they are stealing the hearts of many ever since.
Luka has a heart of gold. He has been part of many social service programs throughout the years and volunteered at various organizations who help people with special needs find their place in the society. Among the rest, he was part of the foundation “A Ruota Libera” which provided assistance for children with Down Syndrome.
This was one of the reasons why Luca wanted to adopt a child with Down Syndrom despite not having a partner.
20 families had previously rejected an ‘unusual’ girl before a single man adopted her
The story of this cute family of two started when little Alba, who was just 13 days old back then, was rejected by 20 adoptive families.
The decision made by all these people not to embrace the special little girl turned lucky for the 41-year-old Italian Luca Trapanese.
When he filled in the adoption papers, Luca didn’t really believe the social services would allow him to become the legal father of Alba as in the country where he is from it is not common for single, homosexual man to be granted custody.
But, as all those families didn’t want to adopt a child with Down Syndrome, and Luca was more than happy to have such child in his life, he took Alba in and became her legal daddy.
The moment he welcomed sweet Alba into his life, he became the happiest person on Earth. Speaking of his daughter and his case, he said it was very special because it “destroys stereotypes about fatherhood, religion and family.”
The journey of these father and daughter started back in 2017 and they are stealing the hearts of many ever since.
Luka has a heart of gold. He has been part of many social service programs throughout the years and volunteered at various organizations who help people with special needs find their place in the society. Among the rest, he was part of the foundation “A Ruota Libera” which provided assistance for children with Down Syndrome.
This was one of the reasons why Luca wanted to adopt a child with Down Syndrom despite not having a partner.
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Finalizing the adoption was a difficult process as adoption agencies prefer “traditional” families over the non-conventional ones.
“For me, a disabled child is not a second choice solution, but a conscious choice with respect to my vocation and my abilities,” Luca said.
Alba is a happy child with a vibrant personality. She loves being around people and enjoys playing and dancing.
We are so glad that the perception of people with Down Syndrome is changing and they are considered valuable part of the society.
As for Luca and Alba, we wish them all the best that life can bring!
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