phonagnosia
Pronunciation: foh-nag-NO-zee-ah
Inability to recognize familiar voices despite intact hearing and speech comprehension.
Full Definition
Phonagnosia is a rare neurological condition characterized by the selective inability to recognize familiar voices, including those of family members, friends, or celebrities, while maintaining normal hearing acuity and speech comprehension abilities. This auditory recognition deficit is considered the auditory analog of prosopagnosia (face blindness) and typically results from lesions affecting the right temporal-parietal regions. Patients with phonagnosia can understand what is being said but cannot identify who is speaking based on voice characteristics alone.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguished from general auditory comprehension deficits by preserved speech understanding.
In Context
- "Despite normal hearing, the patient's phonagnosia prevented recognition of his wife's voice over the telephone." — auditory processing disorder assessment