The naming and recognition of written symbols in aphasic and alexic patients

Abstract

A test consisting of sixty-six written symbols was administered to matched groups of controls, aphasic patients, and alexic patients. The test was designed to determine how the naming and recognition of symbols is affected in aphasia and whether the difficulties associated with alexia are restricted to verbal symbolic materials. Aphasics had more difficulty in symbol naming than control groups; posterior aphasics had more difficulty in recognizing symbols than anterior aphasics; alexic patients had considerable difficulty in naming and recognizing all symbolic categories. The relative difficulty of the various symbolic categories was consistent across all subject groups except the alexic subjects. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of naming, recognition, and reading of symbolic materials; the relationship between alexia and other disturbances of language and symbol use: the mechanisms which may mediate symbol processing under conditions of cortical injury.