Organic mental disorders: prosopagnosia: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Organic mental disorders: prosopagnosia

Sample item

After a stroke, a 60-year-old woman cannot recognise her husband's face or her own face in a mirror, though she knows him at once when he speaks. Her visual acuity is normal. Which brain region is typically damaged?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Bilateral fusiform gyri in the inferomedial occipitotemporal cortex

Prosopagnosia is a visual agnosia for faces, usually from bilateral (or right-sided) lesions of the fusiform face area in the inferomedial occipitotemporal region. Recognition through voice, gait or clothing is preserved.

Option by option

  • A. Dominant inferior frontal gyrus

    The dominant inferior frontal gyrus contains Broca area, concerned with speech production.

  • B. Bilateral mamillary bodies

    Mamillary body damage causes amnesia, not an inability to recognise faces.

  • C. Bilateral fusiform gyri in the inferomedial occipitotemporal cortex (correct)

    Correct. The fusiform face area underlies recognition of faces.

  • D. Dominant angular gyrus

    The dominant angular gyrus is linked with alexia with agraphia and Gerstmann syndrome.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is C, Bilateral fusiform gyri in the inferomedial occipitotemporal cortex. Prosopagnosia is a visual agnosia for faces, usually from bilateral (or right-sided) lesions of the fusiform face area in the inferomedial occipitotemporal region.

Why is "Dominant inferior frontal gyrus" not the answer?

The dominant inferior frontal gyrus contains Broca area, concerned with speech production.

Why is "Bilateral mamillary bodies" not the answer?

Mamillary body damage causes amnesia, not an inability to recognise faces.

Why is "Dominant angular gyrus" not the answer?

The dominant angular gyrus is linked with alexia with agraphia and Gerstmann syndrome.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Organic mental disorders: prosopagnosia in Psychiatry. Recognition through voice, gait or clothing is preserved.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Organic mental disorders: prosopagnosia?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.