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functional blindness

visual deterioration without any apparent change or disease affecting the structural integrity of the visual system: one of the most frequent symptoms in somatization disorder. In addition to loss of acuity, visual functional phenomena may include photophobia; burning, painful, or tired eyes; monocular diplopia (double vision); ptosis; blepharospasm; convergence problems; and severe concentric visual field constriction in one or both eyes. Despite the symptoms, the pupils continue to react to light, and the patient automatically avoids (i.e., is able to detect and thereby avoid) objects that would cause injury. Complete functional blindness is rare. The condition was formerly known as hysterical blindness or psychic blindness.

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Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

transcortical aphasia

transcortical aphasia

a general term for an aphasia caused by a lesion outside of Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area. As a result, the individual will be able to repeat spoken words but will have difficulty producing independent speech or understanding speech. There are three classic forms: transcortical motor aphasia, transcortical sensory aphasia, and mixed transcortical aphasia (i.e., the motor and sensory forms combined).