autotopagnosia /ô′tōtop′əg·nō″zhə/ [Gk, autos + topos, place, a + gnosis, without knowledge] , the inability to recognize or localize the various body parts because of organic brain damage. It is associated generally with lesions of the dominant hemisphere and may be an effect of some cases of cerebrovascular accident. It is also characterized by a loss of ability to distinguish left from right, manifested during a neurological examination when the patient is unable to perform a task such as touching the right ear with the left thumb. Retraining involves touching various parts of the patient’s body and asking the patient to identify the area touched and by having the patient assemble human figure puzzles. Also called body image agnosia, body-scheme disorder. See also agnosia, proprioception.
