Which condition is characterized by an inability to recognize familiar faces, associated with right fusiform gyrus or bilateral occipitotemporal lesions?

• A. Prosopagnosia
• B. Balint syndrome
• C. Agnosia
• D. Palinopsia

Answer: (A)

Face recognition depends on a specialized region in the ventral visual stream, particularly the fusiform face area in the right fusiform gyrus. When this area, or the surrounding bilateral occipitotemporal regions, is damaged, the ability to recognize familiar faces is lost even though basic vision remains intact. This condition is prosopagnosia. It’s distinct from Balint syndrome, which involves visual-spatial and eye-movement problems from bilateral parieto-occipital damage; from agnosia in general, which can affect recognition of objects beyond faces; and from palinopsia, which is persistence of a visual image after the stimulus is gone.