By Admin 
Difference Between Forgetting Names And Forgetting Faces: Is forgetting someone’s name and forgetting their face the same thing? At first glance, both of these may seem like common forgetfulness, but experts say that different systems work for both of these in our brain. This is the reason why it is common to not be able to remember the name of a familiar person despite recognizing his face, whereas not being able to recognize the face of a close person is considered a more serious sign.
Why does a person forget?
Imagine that you arrived at a function and immediately recognized the person standing in front of you, but could not remember his name. This often happens with many people. Actually, remembering the name and getting it out of the mind at the right time depends on the network related to language and memory. Whereas the work of identifying faces is done by the special visual recognition network of the brain. According to Neha Sinha, CEO and co-founder of Epoch Elder Care, dementia expert and clinical psychologist, “Forgetting someone’s name and forgetting someone’s face may seem similar, but the brain pathways that work behind them are completely different. This is the difference between recognition and memory.”
Is it normal to forget names?
Experts say that a name is just a word or an identifying label, which often has no direct relation to a scene image. Therefore, it is considered normal to forget the name in circumstances like stress, fatigue, busyness or meeting many people at once. Neha Sinha explains that forgetting someone’s name in a fast-paced social environment is completely normal and happens to most healthy adults at one point or another.
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Does this cause any problem?
However, the ability to recognize faces has been a very important part of human evolution. For thousands of years, humans have been identifying their family, friends and potential threats based on faces. This is why special networks exist in the brain to recognize faces. Research shows that if there is any disturbance or degradation in these networks, a condition like prosopagnosia i.e. face blindness can develop. In some cases, its association with Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and other neurological diseases has also been seen. Recurrent memory problems may be an early sign of neurocognitive decline. Especially in conditions like Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia, sometimes the ability to recognize faces can be affected before other symptoms. Therefore, if a person starts feeling difficulty in recognizing his family member, spouse or very close people, then it should not be ignored.
When is it necessary to consult an expert?
The real difference is that occasionally forgetting someone’s name may be part of the normal aging process, but persistent difficulty recognizing familiar faces can be a serious warning sign. Therefore, there is no need to panic over every small mistake, but if memory related changes start happening repeatedly, increase or start affecting everyday life, then it is important to consult an expert.
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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.
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