Facial distortions as a critical test for models of the organization of visual function

Ritchie et al. propose a novel framework for understanding the organization of visual function in the occipitotemporal cortex (OTC). We argue that neuropsychological evidence from individuals with prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), a condition in which faces appear distorted, offers a unique opportunity to test models of OTC. Drawing on findings from a large-scale experiment that used naturalistic stimuli with five individuals with PMO, we show that distortions in two cases appear to be face-specific. These results highlight the value of integrating neuropsychological, computational, and behavioral approaches to constrain and refine models of the organization of visual function.