Brad Pitt thinks he suffers from face blindness called Prosopagnosia; Here's all about it

American actor Brad Pitt has recently opened up about the unusual condition that makes it difficult for him to recall faces, therefore resulting in fewer interactions during social events. The Lost City star apparently thinks that he may be suffering from undiagnosed “face blindness," called prosopagnosia, which the NHS describes as a condition in which people are not able to recognise family members, partners or friends.

Brad Pitt thinks he suffers from 'face blindness' called Prosopagnosia

In a conversation with GQ, Brad Pitt opened up about his possible medical condition, known as prosopagnosia, claiming that he struggles to remember people and can come off as “remote and aloof.” The 58-year-old told the publication that the condition enables him to recognize faces, especially at parties and other gatherings, which leads to them thinking he is “remote and aloof, inaccessible, self-absorbed.”

The Moneyball actor said that in reality, he wants to remember the people he meets, adding that he is ashamed that he cannot. Though Pitt has never officially been diagnosed with prosopagnosia, he thinks that he may suffer from the condition.

What is Prosopagnosia?

As per NHS, Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, means one cannot recognise people's faces. Face blindness affects people from birth and is usually a problem a person has for most or all of their life. Prosopagnosia can have a severe impact on everyday life as several people with the condition are not able to recognise family members, partners or friends. They may cope by using alternative strategies to recognise people, such as remembering the way they walk or their hairstyle, voice or clothing.

What causes Prosopagnosia?

There are 2 types of prosopagnosia:

• Developmental prosopagnosia: A person has prosopagnosia without having brain damage
• Acquired prosopagnosia: A person develops prosopagnosia after brain damage, often following a stroke or head injury

In the past, most cases of prosopagnosia were thought to occur after a brain injury (acquired prosopagnosia). But research has found that many more people have prosopagnosia without having brain damage (developmental prosopagnosia) than was first thought.

Treating Prosopagnosia

So far, there is no specific treatment for prosopagnosia, but researchers are figuring out what causes the condition, and training programmes are being developed to help improve facial recognition.

Image: Instagram/@bradpittofficial