asymbolia
|a-sym-bol-i-a|
🇺🇸
/ˌeɪsɪmˈboʊliə/
🇬🇧
/ˌeɪsɪmˈbɒlɪə/
lack of symbol understanding
Etymology
'asymbolia' originates from Greek, specifically from the prefix 'a-' meaning 'without' and 'symbolon' meaning 'sign' or 'token'.
'asymbolia' was coined in modern medical/neurological usage (New Latin/International scientific vocabulary) by combining Greek elements and entered clinical literature in the late 19th to early 20th century to describe loss of symbolic understanding.
Initially it meant 'without symbol' or 'absence of symbolic recognition'; over time it has been retained in neurology to denote both general loss of symbol comprehension and specific syndromes such as pain asymbolia (loss of affective response to pain).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a neurological condition characterized by the inability to understand or interpret signs, symbols, or written/verbal symbolic information (i.e., loss of symbol comprehension).
The neurologist concluded that the patient's difficulty reading and recognizing signs was due to asymbolia following the stroke.
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Noun 2
specifically, 'pain asymbolia' — a condition in which a person perceives nociceptive stimuli (painful sensations) but lacks the typical affective/emotional response (they are not bothered or distressed by the pain).
In cases of pain asymbolia, patients report feeling the stimulus but state that it does not upset or bother them.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 02:40