2022 Volume 42 Issue 3 Pages 348-355
Topographical disorientation, which causes loss of orientation within oneʼs environment, comprises several types. Clinical conditions of the various types are complicated and their mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the clinical condition of a patient with topographical disorientation. The patient was a 71-year-old, right-handed female who had surgery to remove a meningioma in the medial surface of the right parieto-occipital lobe. Although she was able to identify townscapes, she continued to become lost in unfamiliar places. Her abilities of mental rotation and spatial orientation were inhibited, which indicated that her allocentric spatial representation and ability to recognize objects in relation to herself were impaired. We concluded that this condition of losing her way was caused by heading disorientation with egocentric disorientation.
