agnosia

n. Inability to recognize and understand external information in the absence of decreased sensory acuity. It implies an impairment in the ability to transform simple sensations in perceptions, and as a result, the individual cannot recognize the stimuli. Agnosia supposes a - at least partially - primary sensory integrity and absence of global intellectual deterioration.Agnosias are observed in cases of damage in the parietal, temporal, and occipital association areas. Cortical association areas participate in the analysis, integration, and interpretation of the incoming sensory information. Different types of agnosia can be distinguished: visual, spatial, auditory, tactile, and body schema (somatoagnosias or asomatognosias) agnosias. Perceptual difficulties can also potentially exist in other sensory systems, such as taste and smell. Usually, however, taste and smell are not supposed to be involved in cognitive processing. Some reports of gustatory agnosia are currently available. - AA