Topographical disorientation , also known as topographical agnosia and topographagnosia, is the inability to orient oneself in one's surroundings  as a result of focal brain damage. This disability may result from the inability to make use of selective spatial information (e.g., environmental landmarks) or to orient by means of specific cognitive strategies such as the ability to form a mental representation of the environment, also known as a cognitive map. It may be part of a syndrome known as visuospatial dysgnosia. Classification Topographical disorientation is the inability to orient in the surrounding as a result of focal brain damage . Topographical Disorientation has been studied for decades using case studies of patients who have selectively lost their ability to find their way within large-scale, locomotor environments. Several dozen case reports of topographical disorientation have been presented over the last century. Studying these people will aid in the understanding of the complex, multi-component behavior of navigation. Topographical disorientation may  result from a stroke or part of a progressive illness , hemispatial neglect, dementia, Alzheimer's disease. Egocentric disorientation Egocentric disorientation is marked by the inability to represent the location of objects with respect to self. This is usually due to lesions in the posterior parietal lobe. Patients experience no difficulty recognizing or naming people or objects. They are unable to accurately reach for visual objects and are unable to state the relationship between an objects with oneself (above, below, left, right, nearer or farther). In a case study presented by Stark and colleagues, a patient named GW described the inability to accurately reach for visual targets despite normal vision. She had no difficulty recognizing and naming objects presented to her, but was unable to point to locations of targets defined by visual, proprioceptive, or audio input. The loss of an egocentric spatial representation system left her unable to position herself in space. Most indicative of her disability is that she often turned in the wrong direction when greeted by someone who she was not facing Landmark agnosia Landmark agnosia  is marked by the inability to recognize salient environmental stimuli such as landmarks. This is usually due to lesions in the lingual gyrus. Patients are able to draw detailed maps and visualize places familiar to them before the illness. They can distinguish between classes of buildings, such as house or skyscraper, but are unable to identify specific buildings, such as their own house or famous landmarks. Patients can navigate using strictly spatial information and specific details of landmarks such as house number or door color. C. A. Pallis described a patient, A.H., who presented with color, face and landmark agnosia as a result of a cerebral embolism. Treatment Treatment for topographical disorientation has been achieved through a case by case basis. Prognosis is largely dependent on the organic cause. Neuropsychological assessment followed by an assessment of unaffected cognitive abilities can be employed in therapy. Treatment for recovering navigational skills require strengthening unaffected navigational strategies to bypass  defective ones.
Topographical disorientation is the inability to orient oneself in one's surroundings , sometimes as a result of focal brain damage. This disability may result from the inability to make use of selective spatial information (e.g., environmental landmarks) or to orient by means of specific cognitive strategies such as the ability to form a mental representation of the environment, also known as a cognitive map. It may be part of a syndrome known as visuospatial dysgnosia. Classification Topographical disorientation is the inability to find your way through an environment due to cognitive impairment . Topographical Disorientation has been studied for decades using case studies of patients who have selectively lost their ability to find their way within large-scale, locomotor environments. Several dozen case reports of topographical disorientation have been presented over the last century. Studying these people will aid in the understanding of the complex, multi-component behavior of navigation. Topographical disorientation may be a lifelong deficit, it may result from a stroke , or it can occur as part of a progressive illness . Frequently comorbid with this disorder are hemispatial neglect, achromatopsia, prosopagnosia, and Alzheimer's disease. Egocentric disorientation Egocentric disorientation is marked by the inability to represent the location of objects with respect to self. This is usually due to lesions in the posterior parietal lobe. Patients experience no difficulty recognizing or naming people or objects. They are unable to accurately reach for visual objects and are unable to state the relationship between objects and oneself (above, below, left, right, nearer or farther). In a case study presented by Stark and colleagues, a patient named GW described the inability to accurately reach for visual targets despite normal vision. She had no difficulty recognizing and naming objects presented to her, but was unable to point to locations of targets defined by visual, proprioceptive, or audio input. The loss of an egocentric spatial representation system left her unable to position herself in space. Most indicative of her disability is that she often turned in the wrong direction when greeted by someone who she was not facing Landmark agnosia Landmark agnosia , also known as topographical agnosia and topographagnosia, is marked by the inability to recognize salient environmental stimuli such as landmarks. This is usually due to lesions in the lingual gyrus. Patients are able to draw detailed maps and visualize places familiar to them before the illness. They can distinguish between classes of buildings, such as house or skyscraper, but are unable to identify specific buildings, such as their own house or famous landmarks. Patients can navigate using strictly spatial information and specific details of landmarks such as house number or door color. C. A. Pallis described a patient, A.H., who presented with color, face and landmark agnosia as a result of a cerebral embolism. Treatment Treatment for topographical disorientation has been achieved through a case by case basis. Prognosis is largely dependent on the organic cause. Neuropsychological assessment followed by an assessment of unaffected cognitive abilities can be employed in therapy. Treatment for recovering navigational skills requires strengthening unaffected navigational strategies to bypass any defective ones.
D
, also known as topographical agnosia and topographagnosia,
A
, sometimes
R
orient in the surrounding as a result of focal brain damage
find your way through an environment due to cognitive impairment
A
be a lifelong deficit, it may
R
or
, or it can occur as
R
,
. Frequently comorbid with this disorder are
R
dementia,
achromatopsia, prosopagnosia, and
R
an objects with
objects and
A
, also known as topographical agnosia and topographagnosia,
R
require
requires
A
any