Abnormal findings on stereognosis and graphesthesia indicate a lesion in which brain region?

• A. Parietal lobe
• B. Frontal lobe
• C. Occipital lobe
• D. Temporal lobe

Answer: (A)

Stereognosis and graphesthesia rely on higher-order processing in the parietal lobe, specifically the somatosensory association areas that integrate touch with shape, texture, and spatial meaning. When these functions are disrupted by a parietal lobe lesion, a person can no longer identify objects by touch (stereognosis) or recognize patterns traced on the skin (graphesthesia), typically on the contralateral side to the lesion. Other lobes govern different functions—frontal for movement and executive planning, occipital for vision, temporal for memory and language—so deficits in these tasks most directly point to a parietal lobe problem. Therefore, abnormal stereognosis and graphesthesia indicate a lesion in the parietal lobe.