Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Visual Agnosia for Objects

  • Conference paper
Neurology

Abstract

A 70-year-old patient who presented with an infarct in the distribution of the left posterior cerebral artery was asked to name a watch put before her; the patient answered that it was “something with which to see … a pair of glasses.” Is this an aphasic error or an error of recognition? The patient was asked again “with what object do you cut cloth?” she answered immediately “with scissors,” thus confirming the absence of an anomia. The patient was then asked to mime how she would use a pair of scissors; she mimed how to wind up a watch. Her vision did not allow her to recognize the watch, if you consider the verbal response as the criterion of recognition. But the object “watch” was well known, as witnessed by her miming the rewinding of the watch, even if the miming did not occur at the appropriate moment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Albert ML, Reches A, Silverberg R (1975) Associative visual agnosia without alexia. Neurology 25: 322–326

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Albert ML, Soffer D, Silverberg R, Reches A (1979) The anatomic basis of visual agnosia. Neurology 29: 876–879

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Alexander MP, Albert ML (1983) The anatomical basis of visual agnosia. In: Kertesz A (ed) Localization in neuropsychology. Academic, New York, pp 393–415

    Google Scholar 

  4. Assal G, Regli F (1980) Syndrome de disconnexion visuo-verbale et visuo-gestuelle. Aphasie optique et apraxie optique. Rev Neurol 136: 365–376

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bay E (1953) Disturbances of visual perception and their examination. Brain 76: 515–550

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Beauvois MF, Saillant B, Meininger V, Lhermitte F (1978) Bilateral tactile aphasia: a tac-to-verbal dysfunction. Brain 101: 381–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Benson DF, Greenberg JP (1969) Visual form agnosia. A specific defect in visual discrimination. Arch Neurol 20: 82–89

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Benson DF, Segarra J, Albert ML (1974) Visual agnosia - prosopagnosia. A clinico-pathologic correlation. Arch Neurol 30: 307–310

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Brain WR (1941) Visual object-agnosia with special reference to the Gestalt theory. Brain 64: 43–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Cambier J, Masson M, Elghozi D, Henin D, Viader F (1980) Agnosie visuelle sans hémianopsie droite chez un sujet droitier. Rev Neurol 136: 727–740

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Critchley M (1964) The problem of visual agnosia. J Neurol Sci 1: 274–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Damasio AR, Damasio H, Van Hoesen GW (1982) Prosopagnosia: anatomic basis and behavioral mechanisms. Neurology 32: 331–341

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. De Renzi E, Faglioni P, Scotti G, Spinnler H (1972) Impairment in associating colour to form concomitant with aphasia. Brain 95: 293–304

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. De Renzi E, Scotti G, Spinnler H (1969) Perceptual and associative disorders of visual recognition. Relationship to the side of cerebral lesion. Neurology 19: 634–642

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Efron R (1968) What is perception? Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science 4: 137–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Eidelberg D, Galaburda AM (1984) Inferior parietal lobule. Divergent architectonic asymmetries in the human brain. Arch Neurol 41: 843–852

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Ettlinger G (1956) Sensory deficits in visual agnosia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 19: 297–307

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ferro JM, Santos ME (1984) Associative visual agnosia: a case study. Cortex 20: 121–134

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Frederiks JAM (1969) The agnosias. Disorders of perceptual recognition. In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Handbook of clinical neurology, vol 4. North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 13–47

    Google Scholar 

  20. Freud S (1891) On aphasia. A critical study. Imago (1953), Londres

    Google Scholar 

  21. Freund DC (1889) Uber optische Aphasie und Seelenblindheit. Arch Psychiatr Nervenkr 20:276–297, 371–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Geschwind N (1965) Disconnexion syndromes in animals and man. Brain 88:237–294, 585–644

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Goldstein K, Gelb A (1918) Psychologische Analysen hirnpathologischer Fälle aufgrund von Untersuchungen Hirnverletzter. Z Gesamte Neurol Psychiatr 41: 1–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Greenblatt SH (1973) Alexia without agoraphia or hemianopsia. Brain 96: 307–316

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Hahn E (1895) Pathologisch-anatomische Untersuchung des Lissauerschen Falles von Seelenblindheit. In: Arbeiten der Psychiatrischen Klinik, Breslau, H 2. Thieme, Leipzig

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hécaen H, de Ajuriaguerra H (1956) Agnosie visuelle pour les objets inanimés par lésion unilatérale gauche. Rev Neurol 94: 222–233

    Google Scholar 

  27. Hécaen H, Angelergues R (1963) La cécité psychique. Masson, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  28. Hécaen H, Goldblum MC, Masure MC, Ramier AM (1974) Une nouvelle observation d’agnosie d’objet. Déficit de l’association ou de la catégorisation spécifique de la modalité visuelle? Neuropsychologia 12: 447–464

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Larrabee GJ, Levin HS, Huff FJ, Kay MC, Guinto FC Jr (1985) Visual agnosia contrasted with visual-verbal disconnection. Neuropsychologia 23: 1–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Lhermitte F, Beauvois MF (1973) A visual-speech disconnexion syndrome. Report of a case with optic aphasia, agnosie alexia and colour agnosia. Brain 96: 695–714

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Lissauer H (1889) Ein Fall von Seelenblindheit nebst einem Beitrage zur Theorie derselben. Arch Psychiatr Nervenkr 21: 222–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Marin OSM, Glenn CG, Rafal RD (1983) Visual problem solving in the absence of lexical semantics: evidence from dementia. Brain Cognition 2: 285–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Mesulam MM, Van Hoesen GW, Pandya DN, Geschwind N (1977) Limbic and sensory connections of the inferior parietal lobule (area PG) in the rhesus monkey: a study with a new method for horseradish peroxydase histochemistry. Brain Res 136: 393–414

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Morin P, Rivrain Y, Eustache F, Lambert J, Courtheoux P (1984) Agnosie visuelle et agnosie tactile. Rev Neurol 140: 271–277

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Münk H (1881) Über die Functionen der Großhirnrinde. Gesammelte Mittheilungen aus den Jahren 1877–1880. Hirschwald, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  36. Newcombe F, Ratcliff G (1974) Agnosia: a disorder of object recognition. In: Michel F, Schott B (eds) Les syndromes de déconnexion calleuse chez l’homme. Lyon, pp 317–341

    Google Scholar 

  37. Nielsen JM (1937) Unilateral cerebral dominance as related to mind blindness. Minimal lesion capable of causing visual agnosia for objects. Arch Neurol Psychiatr 38: 108–135

    Google Scholar 

  38. Nodet V (1899) Les agnoscies. La cécité psychique en particulier. Félix Alcan, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  39. Pandya DN, Karol E A, Heilbronn D (1971) The topographical distribution of interhemispheric projections in the corpus callosum of the rhesus monkey. Brain Res 32: 31–43

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Rocha Miranda CE, Bender DB, Gross CG, Mishkin M (1975) Visual activation of neurons in inferotemporal cortex depends in striate cortex and forebrain commissures. J Neurophysiol 38: 475–491

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Rubens AB, Benson DF (1971) Associative visual agnosia. Arch Neurol 24: 305–316

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Taylor A, Warrington EK (1971) Visual agnosia: a single case report. Cortex 7: 152–161

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Ungerleider LG, Mishkin M (1982) Two cortical visual systems. In: Ingle DJ, Goodale MA, Mansfield RJW (eds) Analysis of visual behavior. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 549–566

    Google Scholar 

  44. Warrington EK (1975) The selective impairment of semantic memory. Q J Exp Psychol 27: 635–657

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Warrington EK (1985) Agnosia: the impairment of object recognition. In: Frederiks JAM (ed) Clinical neuropsychology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 333–349 (Handbook of clinical neurology, vol 1, no 45 )

    Google Scholar 

  46. Warrington EK, Shallice T (1984) Category-specific semantic impairments. Brain 107: 829–853

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Warrington EK, Taylor AM (1973) The contribution of the right parietal lobe to object recognition. Cortex 9: 152–164

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinique des Maladies du Système Nerveux, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France

    J. L. Signoret

Authors
  1. J. L. Signoret
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung Neurologie, R.W.T.H., Pauwelsstraße, 5100, Aachen, Germany

    Klaus Poeck

  2. Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Moorenstraße 5, 4000, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Hans-Joachim Freund

  3. Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Voßstraße 2, 6900, Heidelberg, Germany

    Heinz Gänshirt

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Signoret, J.L. (1986). Visual Agnosia for Objects. In: Poeck, K., Freund, HJ., Gänshirt, H. (eds) Neurology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70007-1_22

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70007-1_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-70009-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-70007-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation