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Category-specific visual agnosia: lesion to semantic memory versus extra-lesional variables in a case study and a
1Service de Neurologie et de Neuropsychologie, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille and Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie et de Neuropsychologie, Inserm EMI-U 9926, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille 05, France. emmanuel.barbeau@medecine.univ-mrs.fr
Abstract:
There is a current debate on the causes of category-specific agnosia. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of lesional and extra-lesional variables on object recognition. Extra-lesional variables, such as visual complexity or familiarity, are factors that influence recognition. Using a connectionist model based on study, we provide evidence that extra-lesional variables can yield dissociations in the recognition rate of different categories. Furthermore, it is shown that lesional and extra-lesional variables can interact (p < .01) when both are simultaneously modeled. Category-specific agnosia might thus result from complex interactions.