2 RHD
Ability to recognize faces is important in
discriminating familiar/non-familiar faces
b/c emotions are displayed on left side of face; individuals with right hemisphere deficits may display
a flat affect and reduced facial expression
Inability to process the emotions expressed by facial expressions restricts individuals to
a less informed and more literal interpretation
Facial expression may be used to reinforce or alter the meaning of
verbal utterances
Damage to visual association areas in occipital lobe that are used to process/interpret
visual info from the eyes
Prosopagnosia
Ability to process visual information of facial features and spatial relationships is a refined skill that can be lost
visual agnosia is due to damage in the
Central Nervous System not damage to the optic nerve or eyes
Social interactions may be difficult if an individual is unable to
correctly use his face to express his own emotions
Prosopagnosia is not due to
difficulty with the eyes but with the brain
Damage to right hemisphere limits
expressivity on the left side of the face, the most expressive portion of the face
RH allows us to evaluate
facial expressions
Those with right hemisphere deficits are less able to interpret
facial expressions and identify emotions conveyed on the faces of speakers
prosopagnosia is also called
facial recognition
Prosopagnosia
inability to recognize faces in the absence of other visual agnosia
Visual agnosia
is the inability to perceive visual stimuli
Prosodic deficits include
linguistic (language) and prosody (pitch, stress, intonation)
Individuals with prosopagnosia are able to recognize
other objects, just not faces
Individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize
others visually by their face, but they may recognize them by voice, smell, clothing, or other distinctive features
Right hemisphere controls
the left side of face
More emotional expression is displayed on
the left side of the face than on the right side