Overview
Agnosia (also known as primary visual agnosia, monomodal visual amnesia, and visual amnesia) is a neurological condition marked by an inability to recognize and identify things or people using one or more senses. This uncommon ailment is often caused by brain damage caused by strokes, severe brain traumas, dementia, or other neurological disorders. Symptoms may differ depending on the part of the brain affected:
- Parietal lobe: Difficulty recognizing a common object when it is placed in the hand on the side of the body opposite to the side where the brain damage occurred. But when you look directly at the object, you can identify it right away.
- Occipital lobe: Inability to identify familiar objects, faces, or places even when looking at them.
- Temporal lobe: Inability to recognize sounds, taste, or smell.
The inability to identify something familiar does not imply that your visual or mental abilities have been compromised. For example, even if you cannot recognize an object by sight, you may be able to identify it using another sense.
If an underlying illness is causing agnosia, treating that disorder may alleviate symptoms and help avoid additional brain damage. However, treatment for agnosia is symptomatic and supportive, such as speech or occupational therapy.