PROSOPANOMIA - A POSSIBLE CATEGORY-SPECIFIC ANOMIA FOR FACES

This paper reports a single case study of a Patient, who after hydroce phalus, a subdural haemorrhage, and two aneurysms initially presented with visual agnosia and aphasia. After four years, the residual defici t suggests a specific impairment in naming familiar faces despite pres erved intelligence and memory. Other types of complex visual informati on such as text and pictures of objects do not produce recognition or naming problems. Face perception and access to identity-specific autob iographical information from faces is preserved. Name recognition is a lso normal. The results suggest a possible case of category-specific a nomia for faces, i.e. prosopanomia.