Rare Disorder Makes Faces Appear Distorted and Demonic
A rare and unheard disorder has been detected in a man in the United States, causing other people’s faces to appear distorted and demonic to him. This condition, known as prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), has left the man feeling like he is living in a “demon world.”
Discovery of the Rare Disorder
The man first noticed the symptoms of PMO in November 2020, when he suddenly started seeing distorted faces. Features like noses, ears, and mouths appeared stretched back, with deep grooves on chins, cheeks, and foreheads.
Understanding PMO
PMO is an extremely rare neurological disorder that affects a person’s perception of others’ faces, causing distortions in size, shape, color, or texture. These distortions are only visible in real-life interactions, not in photographs or on screens.
Research and Diagnosis
Researchers at Dartmouth College created digital representations of the distorted faces seen by the man with PMO. These images provided insights into how the brain processes facial information in individuals with the disorder.
Long-Term Effects and Research Findings
While some cases of PMO resolve within weeks or days, others can persist for years. Less than 100 published case reports exist on PMO, with researchers attributing the disorder to dysfunction in the brain network responsible for facial processing.
PMO has been associated with conditions like migraines, epilepsy, head trauma, and stroke, although some individuals experience it without any structural brain changes. The variability in symptoms among PMO patients highlights the complexity of the disorder.
Lead author Antonio Mello from Dartmouth’s Social Perception Lab noted that PMO symptoms can vary significantly among individuals, with some experiencing face distortions since childhood. The ongoing research aims to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of PMO.