RELATIVE SPARING OF OBJECT RECOGNITION IN ALEXIA-PROSOPAGNOSIA

One leading account of high-level visual recognition proposes that the identification of words, objects and faces is mediated by two precess ing capacities (Farah, 1991). Words are assumed to be recognized by de composition into numerous parts, whereas faces undergo little decompos ition and hence require representation of complex parts. Object recogn ition requires the capacity to represent both numerous and complex par ts. Thus, as object recognition critically depends upon the same proce ssing capacities underlying face and word recognition, this account pr edicts that patients exhibiting severe word and face recognition impai rments should also be deficient in object recognition. We report a pat ient who is unable to recognize words or faces, yet performs relativel y well on tests of object recognition. This pattern of performance is not readily accommodated by the 2-capacity theory.