Agnosia

Disease Overview

Agnosia is characterized by an inability to recognize and identify objects and/or persons. Symptoms may vary, according to the area of the brain that is affected.[3337] It can be limited to one sensory modality such as vision or hearing; for example, a person may have difficulty in recognizing an object as a cup or identifying a sound as a cough. Agnosia can result from strokes, traumatic brain injury, dementia, a tumor, developmental disorders, overexposure to environmental toxins (e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning), or other neurological conditions.[3336][3337] Visual agnosia may also occur in association with other underlying disorders.[3337] People with agnosia may retain their cognitive abilities in other areas.[3336] Treatment of primary agnosia is symptomatic and supportive; when it is caused by an underlying disorder, treatment of the disorder may reduce symptoms and help prevent further brain damage.[3337]

Synonyms

• Primary visual agnosia
• Monomodal visual amnesia
• Visual amnesia