Crossref journal-article
The Royal Society
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences (175)
Abstract

A neurological syndrome, called in the literature either optic aphasia or visual anomia, is defined in principle as the inability to name visually presented objects, together with the preservation of both the ability to identify them by sight correctly and to name them when they are presented in another sensory modality. This syndrome was first described by Freund in 1889, but since then its existence has been continually questioned. When it is accepted, the most common interpretation of it is in terms of an anatomical visuo-verbal disconnection. However, the precise level of the psychological process impaired remains unspecified. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, evidence is reported showing that a verbal impairment specific to visually presented objects can be observed, as well as analogous syndromes (e.g. tactile aphasia). Secondly, a particular kind of visuo-verbal impairment is defined and called optic aphasia, to distinguish it from other possible cases of visuo-verbal impairments. This syndrome is defined by the specification of the level of the particular psychological process supposed to be impaired, i.e. a disturbance between visual semantics and verbal semantics, both of which operate normally. Thirdly, three hypotheses concerning the operation of the semantic system in normal subjects are derived from the evidence coming from this syndrome

Bibliography

Optic aphasia: a process of interaction between vision and language. (1982). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 298(1089), 35–47.

Authors 0

None

References 51 Referenced 130
  1. Assal G. & Regli F. 1980 Syndrome de disconnexion visuo-verbale et visuo-gestuelle. Revue neurol. 136 365-376.
  2. Beauvois M. F. Bastard V. & Saillant B. 1982 Auditory modality specific kind of aphasia. (In preparation.)
  3. {'key': 'p_3', 'first-page': '211', 'article-title': 'Syndromes neuropsychologiques et psychologie cognitive. Trois exemples: aphasie tactile, alexie phonologique et agraphie lexicale', 'volume': '23', 'author': 'Beauvois M. F.', 'year': '1980', 'journal-title': 'Cah. Psychol.'} / Cah. Psychol. / Syndromes neuropsychologiques et psychologie cognitive. Trois exemples: aphasie tactile, alexie phonologique et agraphie lexicale by Beauvois M. F. (1980)
  4. Beauvois M. F. & Derouesne J. 1982 Recherche en psychologie cognitive et reeducation: quels rapports? In Reeduquerle cerveau (ed. X. Seron). Bruxelles : Pierre Mardaga. (In the press.)
  5. Beauvois M. F. & Saillant B. 1982 Optic aphasia for colours and colour agnosia: a distinction between visual and visuo-verbal impairments in the processing of colours. (In preparation.)
  6. 10.1093/brain/101.3.381
  7. 10.1093/brain/95.1.173
  8. Binois R. & Pichot P. 1958 Test de vocabulaire. Paris: Editions du Centre de Psychologie Appliquee.
  9. {'key': 'p_9', 'first-page': '297', 'article-title': "Deux cas d 'alexie sans agraphie avec troubles de la denomination des couleurs et des images", 'volume': '44', 'author': 'Boudouresques J.', 'year': '1972', 'journal-title': 'Revue Oto-Neuro-Ophtal.'} / Revue Oto-Neuro-Ophtal. / Deux cas d 'alexie sans agraphie avec troubles de la denomination des couleurs et des images by Boudouresques J. (1972)
  10. {'key': 'p_10', 'first-page': '73', 'article-title': 'An experimental study of the effect of language on the reproduction of visually perceived form. J.exp', 'volume': '15', 'author': 'Carmichael L.', 'year': '1932', 'journal-title': 'Psychol.'} / Psychol. / An experimental study of the effect of language on the reproduction of visually perceived form. J.exp by Carmichael L. (1932)
  11. Dahmen W. Hartje W. Willmen K. & Wenigen D. 1981 To what extent are the cognitive performances of Wernicke's aphasics disturbed by their own vocalizations. Presented at the European Conference of the International Neuropsychological Society Bergen. Norway.
  12. {'key': 'p_12', 'first-page': '61', 'article-title': "Contribution a l'etude anatomo-pathologique et cliniques des differentes varietes de cecite verbale. C.r", 'volume': '4', 'author': 'Dejerine J.', 'year': '1892', 'journal-title': 'Seanc. Soc. Biol.'} / Seanc. Soc. Biol. / Contribution a l'etude anatomo-pathologique et cliniques des differentes varietes de cecite verbale. C.r by Dejerine J. (1892)
  13. 10.1016/S0010-9452(75)80032-3
  14. Dimond S.J. 1980 Neuropsychology. A textbook of systems and psychological functions of the human brain. London: Butterworth
  15. Frederiks J. A. M. 1969 The agnosias. Disorders of perceptual recognition. In Handbook of clinical neurology (ed. P. J. Vinken & G. W. Bruyn) vol. 4 pp. 13-47. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
  16. Freud S. 1891 Zur Auffasungder Aphasien. Eine kritische Studie. Leipzig: Deuticke.
  17. Freud S. 1900 Die Traumdeutung. Leipzig and Vienna: Deuticke.
  18. 10.1007/BF02041542
  19. Gazzaniga M. S. 1979 Handbook of behavioral neurobiology vol. 2. ( ). New York: Plenum.
  20. 10.1093/brain/88.3.585
  21. 10.1037/h0093487
  22. 10.1044/jshr.1103.488
  23. Hardy L. H. Rand G. & Rittler C. 1957 HRRpseudoisochromaticplates. New York: American Optical Company.
  24. Hecaen H. & Albert M. L. 1978 Human neuropsychology. New York: John Wiley.
  25. Heilman K. M. & Valenstein E. 1979 Clinical neuropsychology. Oxford University Press.
  26. Hodgkin D. 1979 Representation of sensory information in semantic memory. Presented at the Experimental Psychological Society Oxford.
  27. Ishihara S. 1979 Testsfor colour-blindness. Tokyo: Kanehara Shuppan Co.
  28. 10.1136/jnnp.27.4.296
  29. Kleist K. 1934 Kriegsverletzungen des Gehirns in ihrer Bedeutung fur die Hirnlokalisation und Hirnpathologie. In Handbuch der arztlichenErfahrungenim Weltkriege 1914-1918 (ed. O. von Schjerning) vol. 4 pp. 1343-1349. Leipzig: Barth.
  30. 10.1016/S0010-9452(64)80007-1
  31. Kolb B. & Whishaw I. Q_. 1980 Fundamentals of human neuropsychology. San Francisco: Freeman.
  32. Lecours A. R. & Lhermitte F. 1979 Vaphasie.Paris: Flammarion.
  33. Lezak M. D. 1976 Neuropsychological assessment. New York: Oxford University Press.
  34. 10.1093/brain/96.4.695
  35. Lhermitte F. Chain F. Aron D. Leblanc M. & Souty O. 1969 Les troubles de la vision des couleurs dans les lesions posterieures du cerveau. Revue neurol. 121 5-29.
  36. 10.1016/S0010-9452(75)80023-2
  37. Morton J. 1980 Recognition and naming. Presented at the European Conference of the International Neuropsychological Society Chianciano Italy.
  38. Paivio A. 1972 Imagery and verbal processes. New York: Holt Rinehart & Winston.
  39. 10.1037/0096-1523.6.4.652
  40. {'key': 'p_40', 'first-page': '587', 'article-title': 'Phonemic dyslexia: errors of meaning and the meaning of errors. J l exp', 'volume': '30', 'author': 'Patterson K.', 'year': '1978', 'journal-title': 'Psychol.'} / Psychol. / Phonemic dyslexia: errors of meaning and the meaning of errors. J l exp by Patterson K. (1978)
  41. Poeck K. 1982 Neuropsychological demonstration of posterior interhemispheric disconnexion in a case of `Optic Aphasia'. (In preparation.)
  42. 10.1038/253437a0
  43. Ratcliff G. & Newcombe F. 1982 Object recognition: some deductions from the clinical evidence. In Normality and pathology in cognitivefunctions (ed. A. Ellis) pp. 147-171. London: Academic Press.
  44. Seymour P. H. K. 1979 Retrieval of object colour. Presented at the Experimental Psychological Society Oxford.
  45. {'key': 'p_45', 'first-page': '183', 'article-title': 'Case study approach in neuropsychological research. clin', 'volume': '1', 'author': 'Shallice T.', 'year': '1979', 'journal-title': 'Neuropsychol.'} / Neuropsychol. / Case study approach in neuropsychological research. clin by Shallice T. (1979)
  46. 10.1212/WNL.16.8.807
  47. Walsh K. W. 1978 Neuropsychology. A clinical approach. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
  48. {'key': 'p_48', 'first-page': '635', 'article-title': 'The selective impairment of semantic memory. Q. J l exp', 'volume': '27', 'author': 'Warrington E. K.', 'year': '1975', 'journal-title': 'Psychol.'} / Psychol. / The selective impairment of semantic memory. Q. J l exp by Warrington E. K. (1975)
  49. 10.1093/brain/102.1.43
  50. Willbrand H. 1887 Die Seelenblindheit als Herderscheinung. Wiesbaden: Bergmann.
  51. Wolff G. 1904 Klinische und kritische Beitrage zur Lehre von den Sprachstorungen. Leipzig: Veit.
Dates
Type When
Created 18 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 15, 2006, 4:31 p.m.)
Deposited 4 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 18, 2021, 2:34 p.m.)
Indexed 1 month ago (July 30, 2025, 10 a.m.)
Issued 43 years, 2 months ago (June 25, 1982)
Published 43 years, 2 months ago (June 25, 1982)
Published Online 28 years, 8 months ago (Jan. 1, 1997)
Published Print 43 years, 2 months ago (June 25, 1982)
Funders 0

None

@article{1982, volume={298}, ISSN={2054-0280}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1982.0070}, DOI={10.1098/rstb.1982.0070}, number={1089}, journal={Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, year={1982}, month=jun, pages={35–47} }