An 82-year-old client does not recognize her shoes as being 'shoes.' This symptom is best described as which of the following?

An 82-year-old client does not recognize her shoes as being 'shoes.' This symptom is best described as which of the following?

• A. Amnesia
• B. Agnosia
• C. Aphasia
• D. Apathy

Answer: (B)

Agnosia is the correct term. It describes the inability to recognize objects despite intact perception and intellect. Here, the client can see the shoe but cannot identify it as a shoe, indicating a perceptual-interpretive deficit rather than a loss of memory, language, or motivation. This differs from amnesia (memory loss for information or events), aphasia (language impairment), and apathy (lack of motivation or emotional concern). In practice, agnosia often appears with brain changes from aging, dementia, or focal brain damage, and evaluation focuses on whether the object can be recognized or named despite normal sensory input.

Agnosia is the correct term. It describes the inability to recognize objects despite intact perception and intellect. Here, the client can see the shoe but cannot identify it as a shoe, indicating a perceptual-interpretive deficit rather than a loss of memory, language, or motivation. This differs from amnesia (memory loss for information or events), aphasia (language impairment), and apathy (lack of motivation or emotional concern). In practice, agnosia often appears with brain changes from aging, dementia, or focal brain damage, and evaluation focuses on whether the object can be recognized or named despite normal sensory input.