Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Posterior Cortical Atrophy is characterized by a disorder of visuospatial processing.  This results in difficulty with tasks that are mediated by visuospatial functioning and patients often demonstrate difficulty negotiating topographic space to avoid getting lost. For example, difficulty with spatial relations can result in turning in the wrong direction even in familiar circumstances such as the individual’s community or house.  Additionally, there can be challenges with dressing because of difficulty mapping floppy clothing onto the appropriate body part.  There are deficits in accurately reaching for objects in space and placing objects safely on a surface.  Sometimes there can be lateralized neglect, or reduced attention to the left half of space.  This can result in positioning the body to the left of center of a chair or eating food only on the right side of a plate.  Because of difficulty interpreting the relative location of objects and the self in space, there can be difficulties walking up and down stairs, or avoiding hot elements on a stove top.