What you see is not necessarily what you perceive: Picture agnosia and Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Background: Picture agnosia has become more significant as a symptom in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is no standardized test for picture agnosia. Aim: To design a picture test for picture agnosia and better understand related 3-D visual perception. Methods: A total of 10 Alzheimer's disease patients and 10 healthy older adults were recruited as participants. We designed a picture test consisting of real objects, colored photographs and line drawings, and compared response times. Results: The average response time to drawings was significantly longer than for real objects and photographs (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We believe the present results provide a foundation for designing a diagnostic picture test.