Face memory deficit in visually impaired children who live in a developing country.

Purpose: The development of face processing abilities is a continuous process reaching maturity in adulthood. To achieve it in plenitude, children must have an adequate visual function. The purpose of this study was to assess how the face memory ability of children with visual impairment living in a developing country compares to those with normal vision in the same setting.

Methods: This was a case-control study. Children with visual impairment of different causes and age-matched normal controls underwent a complete eye examination and the Cambridge Face Memory Test for Children (CFMT-C). Images were presented on a computer screen and the test results were expressed as a percentage of right answers (%). Children with impaired vision were assorted into binocular and monocular deficiency and the groups were compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results: The sample comprised 40 children with visual impairment and 31 age-matched controls. The groups did not differ in age and gender distribution. Patients with binocular impairment (18 subjects) had lower mean CFMT-C scores, as compared to monocular patients (22 patients with strabismic amblyopia) and children with normal vision (57.7 ± 18.9, 76.2 ± 15.6, and 71.3 ± 12.7, respectively, p = 0.008).

Conclusions: Children with binocular visual impairment had diminished face memory ability. Amblyopia due to strabismus did not affect face memory. Attempts should focus on the prevention of visual loss and early rehabilitation so that these children can develop adequate face memory ability.