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A Longitudinal Study of Category-specific Agnosia Reported in Unit Report 46 as: The effects of passage of time on a patient with category-specific agnosia.
Authors:
Thomas , R.M., Forde, E.M., Humphreys, G.W. & GRAHAM, K.S.
Reference:
Neurocase, 8(6), 466-479
Year of publication:
2002
CBU number:
5127
Abstract:
We report a 12-year longitudinal case study on a 60 year-old male patient (DW) with category-specific agnosia. The extent to which DW's impairment has changed over time was evaluated using identical tests at time 1 (1988) and time 2 (2000). In particular, we assessed his ability to identify pictures and real objects, to draw from memory, and to access stored semantic information about living and nonliving things. The principal findings were: (i) DW was significantly better at identifying real objects in comparison to line drawings. (ii) DW presented with a category-specific impairment for living things that remained consistent over the 12 year period. (iii) He significantly improved in his ability to identify real nonliving objects over the 12 year period but real living objects remained at floor. (iv) His ability to access stored visual knowledge declined over time. These data help us to address a number of important questions concerning the cognitive processes involved in object recognition and the links between perceptual and memorial processes.
