Article

Mirror agnosia is the inability to use mirror knowledge when interacting with
mirrors, while mirrored-self misidentification is the delusional belief that
one's reflection in the mirror is a stranger. Ajuriaguerra, Strejilevitch, and
Tissot (1963) conducted a detailed study of these two conditions before they
became widely known in the English literature. We present a translation of this
important paper. In their study, Ajuriaguerra et al. (1963) examined the
behaviour of 30 dementia patients with respect to the mirror. Their examination
focussed on three criteria: (1) recognition of own reflection; (2) use of
reflected space; and (3) designation of parts of the body. The study found three
distinct levels of impairment when interacting with mirrors. Patients with the
most severe dementia were unable to recognise their own reflection and displayed
the mirrored-self misidentification delusion. Patients with moderate dementia
showed mirror agnosia. Finally, patients with mild dementia were unable to
designate parts of their body in the mirror. These findings have important
implications for understanding mirror agnosia and the mirrored-self
misidentification delusion. In a commentary, we discuss the importance of the
findings and place them within the context of subsequent research.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS