AGNOSIA

Definition:

it is the impairment of recognition caused by lesions of the associated areas of the

cerebral cortex, even though the primary sensory pathway is intact

types:
1.) Visual - inability to recognize objects or shape seen
Cause: lesions in the parieto-temporal region

Categories:

Simultanagnosia (Balint’s syndrome)- inability to perceive a visual stimulus as a whole.

Prosopagnosia – related to any visually ambiguous stimuli, the recognition of which

depends on evoking memory context. Bilaterally symmetrical occipital lesions.

Color agnosia – inability to identify colors. Classic occipital syndrome

2.) Tactile- inability to identify objects by touch

-feeling movements provide impressions until the object is identified
Cause: lesions of the parietal lobe posterior to the somesthetic area produce tactile
agnosia (often called astereognosis)

3.)Auditory- inability to recognize sounds even though auditory sensation is

intact
-can be verbal agnosia (inability to recognize spoken language), sensory
amusia(inability to recognize music),and congenital auditory agnosia (associated with
mental retardation)
Gerstmann Syndrome (Bilateral Asomatognosia)

Defintion: neurological disorder that is characterized by a constellation of symptoms that

suggests the presence of a lesion in a particular area of the brain

Causes:

associated with brain lesions in the dominant (usually left) hemisphere including
the angular and supramaginal gyri near the temporal and parietal lobe junction.

Adults: syndrome may occur after a stroke or in association with damage to the parietal
lobe

Children: No known cause

Characterized by four primary symptoms:

1. Dysgraphia/agraphia: deficiency in the ability to write

2. Dyscalculia/acalculia: difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics
3. Finger agnosia: inability to distinguish the fingers on the hand
4. Left-right disorientation