A 45-year-old man with a unilateral temporal lobe lesion has impaired recognition of familiar faces despite intact visual acuity and limb recognition. The term for this deficit and its most likely localisation is:

• A Prosopagnosia; lesion in the fusiform face area of the right inferior temporal cortex ✓
• B Visual agnosia; lesion in the primary visual cortex (V1) of the occipital lobe
• C Simultagnosia; bilateral parieto-occipital lesion impairing visual scene integration
• D Palinopsia; right parietal cortex lesion causing visual perseveration

Explanation

Prosopagnosia is the selective inability to recognise familiar faces despite preserved visual acuity and object recognition. The critical lesion involves the fusiform face area (FFA) in the inferior temporal (fusiform) gyrus, typically the right hemisphere in humans. Visual agnosia (option B) is broader object non-recognition related to V1 damage or disconnection. Simultanagnosia (option C) is inability to perceive multiple objects simultaneously, associated with bilateral parieto-occipital lesions (Balint syndrome). Palinopsia (option D) is visual perseveration, a different phenomenon.

Reference: Guyton & Hall, Textbook of Medical Physiology, 14th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.