Case Study - DF

Question 1

What is the name of her disorder?

Answer 1

Apperceptive visual form agnosia

Question 2

Which researcher studied the case?

Answer 2

Milner

Question 3

What are the locations of DFs lesions?

Answer 3

Lateral occipital region, mainly areas 18 & 19
Parasagittal occipto-parietal region
Soaring region 17
Localised damage to the basal ganglia

Question 4

Which functions were impaired?

Answer 4

Poor perception of shape or orientation
Can’t recognise simple shapes , letters, faces or objects
Can’t match the orientation of 4 lines using her hands or using words

Question 5

Is her deficit a simple sensory one or a deficit within visual processing? and why?

Answer 5

Not simple sensory because her eye sight is fine
It’s a deficit within visual processing because she can’t draw a picture she is looking at but can draw one from memory.
She also can orient her hand if she imagine the angle of the line but can’t if she is looking at the line.

Question 6

What function was spared?

Answer 6

About average IQ
had procedural memory because she could post her hand through differently oriented slots
Recognise colour and texture

Question 7

What tasks was DF given to test her orientation abilities?

Answer 7

Posting task
Describe the orientation of lines
Trying to orient her hand to the lines she saw
Imagining a slot and then orienting her hand

Question 8

Is DF a dissociation with anyone?

Answer 8

Patient MS who can’t see texture but can see shape

Optic ataxia patients who can perceive orientation but can’t orient their hand to match it

Question 9

What conclusion can you make about visuomotor skills from DFs case study?

Answer 9

Suggests that there is an underlying unconscious perceptual judgement that operates separately to ones that run implicitly to guide visuomotor skilled actions

Question 10

What age is DF? Gender ? And cause of brain damage?

Answer 10

35 year old female

Irreversible brain damage caused by carbon monoxide inhalation