Brain processing of proper names

Proper names are of practical importance for verbal communication. For inst ance, they are indispensable for transmission of autobiographical informati on concerning a person. Recent studies have revealed that proper names are neuropsychologically and anatomically processed in a manner that differs fr om the processing of common nouns. The current review described proper name s, which are labels attached to referents, as being without semantic meanin g. The clinical data are presented regarding comprehension and retrieval of people's names, and memory of their unique properties. The validity of a c ognitive neuropsychological model of people's name processing is also evalu ated. The review suggests that after the initial memory consolidation of a name a nd a person by the left hemisphere's hippo/parahippocampus, the memory beco me established in the adjoining fusiform gyrus. Consequently, it is hypothe sized that the fusiform gyrus forms a processing network for people's names with the temporal pole and postero temporo/occipital lobe. The research on geographical names, topographical names, and therapeutic approaches for de ficits of proper names is also reviewed.