User:KellyCardinal/Autotopagnosia Project Proposal

Wikipedia Project Proposal: Autotopagnosia

A broadly defined type of agnosia, autotopagnosia (AT)—also called “somatotopagnosia”—is a rare, neurological condition characterized by an inability to localize and orient different parts of one’s own body, an examiner’s body, and/or body parts in a picture. Since patients with this disorder vary in regard to the exact symptomology displayed, the disease has been attributed either to a linguistic impairment, an inability to recognize a whole into parts, or a body schema defect. In most case studies, the onset of AT has been correlated with the appearance of lesions on the posterior left hemisphere of the parietal lobe. From case studies, the nature of autotopagnosia can be explained as a disconnection between the primary proprioceptive sensory area and the center of the body schema. Examination of patients revealed that the cognitive impairment improved with the assistance of visual or tactile information. Research in AT suggests the existence of a discrete body image, located in the language dominant hemisphere, whose function is to decode the body position of both oneself and others. Due to the uncertain definition of a somatotopagnosic condition, our approach to the Wikipedia Article on autotopagnosia (AT) will concentrate on the fundamental symptomology that is agreed upon across most case studies. The structure of our article will be partitioned into the following sections:

• Overview
• Etiology
• Diagnosis
• Management/Prognosis
• History
• Research Implications
• References

In order to efficiently build this article, we will split up the workload by sections. Kelly Cardinal will focus her efforts on the Etiology section, and specifically will elaborate on the symptomology and physiological/biological causation of AT. Jason Robinson will gather information for the Diagnosis section on diagnostic medicines and techniques used to identify AT disorders from other cognitive deficiencies. Although there seems to be no definitive “cure” for AT, Erin Crocker will search for treatment options and prognostic estimates for the Management section. Since it is a rare neurological disorder, we will need to take advantage of medical journals and specific case studies, rather than focusing solely on medical encyclopedias. Our combined efforts will be consolidated to produce the Medical History and Research Implications sections.

References:

Denes, G. et a. (2000). “A category-specific deficit of spatial representation: The case of autotopagnosia.” Neuropsychologia, 38(4), April 2000: 345-350. Department of Neurology, Venice Hospital. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0D-3YKV0WM-2&_user=521319&_coverDate=04/30/2000&_alid=1652172824&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_zone=rslt_list_item&_cdi=4860&_sort=r&_st=4&_docanchor=&_ct=9&_acct=C000026018&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=521319&md5=786947e2b2b444e0d12ca49f6129f620&searchtype=a.

Gromisch, Elizabeth S. “What is Autotopagnosia?” EmpowHer, LLC, © 2011. Last updated on April 5, 2010. Accessed on February 22, 2011. http://www.empowher.com/wellness/content/what-autotopagnosia?page=0,0.

Ogden, J. A. “Autotopagnosia. Occurrence in a patient without nominal aphasia and with an intact ability to point to parts of animals and objects.” Brain : a journal of neurology. 1985. n.p. <http://www.biomedsearch.com/nih/Autotopagnosia-Occurrence-in-patient-without/4075073.html>.

Reed, Catherine L., et al. "The Body-Inversion Effect." Association for Psychological Science. Psychological Science 14.4 (2003): 302-8. Print. Accessed on February 22, 2011. <http://pss.sagepub.com/content/14/4/302.full.pdf+html>.

Ogden, J. A. Fractured Minds: A Case-Study Approach to Clinical Neuropsychology. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Book.