Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders | Agnosia

Definition

Agnosia is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize common objects, persons, or sounds, in the absence of perceptual disability. There are three major types of agnosia: visual agnosia, auditory agnosia, and tactile agnosia. Agnosia is caused by lesions to the parietal and temporal lobes of the brain, regions involved in storing memories and associations of objects. The condition may arise following head trauma or stroke, or following carbon monoxide poisoning or anoxia.

Description

Agnosia, from the Greek "not knowing," describes a collection of disorders where the ability to recognize objects or sounds or retrieve information about them is impaired, in the absence of other perceptual difficulties, including memory, intellectual capabilities, and the capacity for communication. The disorder...