simultanagnosia
Pronunciation: sigh-mul-tan-ag-NO-see-ah
Visual processing disorder characterized by inability to perceive multiple objects or elements of a scene simultaneously.
Full Definition
Simultanagnosia is a visual-perceptual disorder in which patients can only perceive one object or a limited portion of a visual scene at a time, despite normal visual acuity. This condition involves two main types: dorsal simultanagnosia (associated with bilateral parieto-occipital lesions and Bálint syndrome) affects the entire visual field, while ventral simultanagnosia (associated with left occipitotemporal lesions) typically affects only the left visual field. Patients may describe seeing individual trees but missing the forest, or focusing on details while losing the overall gestalt of visual scenes.
Usage
Usage note: Component of Bálint syndrome but can occur independently.
In Context
- "The patient's simultanagnosia made reading difficult as they could only process one word at a time." — Neuropsychological report
- "Occupational therapy strategies for simultanagnosia included systematic visual scanning techniques." — Rehabilitation plan