Abstract
Purpose :
The development of face processing abilities is a continuous process reaching maturity in adulthood. In order to achieve it in plenitude, children must have adequate visual function. To what extent children with visual disabilities have limited face recognition ability as compared to those with normal vision? To address this issue we designed a cross sectional, case - control study to assess face memory ability in children with visual disabilities.
Methods :
Patients were recruited from a general ophthalmology clinic. Children with visual disabilities and age-matched normal controls underwent a complete eye examination and the Cambridge Face Memory Test for Children (CFMT-C). The test has 3 alternative forced-choice items that test memory for 6 target children faces. Images were presented on a computer screen and the test initiated after a brief training practice. Results were expressed as percentage of right answers (%) and the groups compared with unpaired Student’s t test.
Results :
The study group comprised 32 children with a mean logMAR visual acuity (VA) of 0.6; 17 had strabismus, 10 congenital cataract, 2 nystagmus, 2 congenital glaucoma, and 1 albinism; mean age was 8.9 ± 2.6 years. The age-matched control group comprised 28 children with mean VA of 0.1; mean age was 10.1 ± 1.4 years. Results indicated that younger children with visual disabilities had poorer, facial memory than their control counterparts (52% ± 18% vs. 66% ±15%, P = 0.027).
Conclusions :
Children with low VA have difficulty with face memory. Their families may benefit from interventions of social cognition and attentional strategies.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.