Voice discrimination and recognition are separate abilities.
Studies of brain-damaged subjects indicate that recognizing a familiar voice and discriminating among unfamiliar voices may be selectively impaired, and thus that the two are separate functions. Familiar voice recognition was impaired in cases of damage to the right (but not the left) hemisphere, while impaired unfamiliar voice discrimination was observed in cases with damage to either hemisphere.
Van Lancker
D
D
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles 90024.
Kreiman
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013067:Speech Perception; D014831:Voice