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Associative (prosop)agnosia without (apparent) perceptual deficits: a case-study.
David Anaki1, Yakir Kaufman, Morris Freedman
1Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 3560 Bathurst St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 2E1.momos@psych.utoronto.ca
Neuropsychologia
|February 27, 2007
Summary
Associative agnosia may involve subtle perceptual deficits, not just semantic access issues. This case study shows impaired face and object recognition due to difficulties extracting fine perceptual details.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Associative agnosia is traditionally defined by intact early perception and impaired semantic access.
- Recent theories suggest subtle perceptual deficits may underlie associative agnosia.
Observation:
- A patient (DBO) with a left occipital infarct exhibited impaired object and famous face recognition.
- DBO showed a face inversion effect and normal recognition memory for faces with deleted external features.
Findings:
- Deficits in DBO's face recognition emerged only when naming famous faces or identifying semantic relationships between faces.
- Object recognition impairments mirrored face recognition deficits, suggesting shared perceptual processing issues.
Implications:
- This case supports the distinction between apperceptive and associative agnosia.
- Findings suggest distinct stages in face and object recognition processing are vulnerable to damage.
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