Category Specific Dissociations in Naming and Recognition by Aphasic Patients

Two studies examined category specific retrieval deficits in aphasic patients. The first study tested naming performance of 24 aphasic patients for pictures of objects representing 16 semantic categories. Instances of deviantly high and low naming scores relative to a patient's general, level of naming ability were encountered, most notably for letters, body parts and colors. The second study compared name production versus name recognition for 117 aphasic patients across six stimulus categories. Although a general superiority of name recognition over name production was found, thirteen patients, predominantly fluent aphasics, accounted for most instances of correct naming in the absence of correct name recognition. Letters, body parts and colors were again most notable. Several issues in lexical access for name recognition versus name production are discussed.