simultagnosia
Pronunciation: sim-ult-ag-NO-zee-ah
Inability to perceive multiple objects or elements of a visual scene simultaneously.
Full Definition
Simultagnosia is a visual perceptual disorder characterized by the inability to perceive or attend to multiple objects or elements within a visual scene simultaneously, despite being able to recognize individual components when presented in isolation. This condition is often associated with bilateral parietal-occipital lesions and is a key feature of Balint syndrome. Patients with simultagnosia may see trees but miss the forest, or focus on details while losing the overall gestalt of complex visual stimuli, significantly impacting reading, navigation, and daily functioning.
Usage
Usage note: Often misspelled as 'simultanagnosia' - the correct spelling uses 'tag' not 'tan'.
In Context
- "The patient's simultagnosia prevented him from reading sentences despite recognizing individual letters and words." — visual processing assessment report