Introduction: Recognition of faces and words are traditionally thought to rely on highly specialized, strongly lateralized and relatively independent processes. Neuropsychological evidence supporting this comes from studies of patients recruited on the basis of selective deficits, i.e. pure alexia and prosopagnosia. Recently, the existence of true category specific deficits (and corresponding category specific cerebral areas) for faces and words has been challenged based on neuropsychological, developmental, and imaging studies. In the present study, we recruited a large group of patients based on lesion location rather than symptomatology, to assess the range and specificity of perceptual deficits following posterior cerebral artery (PCA) stroke, with particular focus on faces and words. Methods: 64 patients with PCA-stroke (> 9 months post stroke) and 48 controls were assessed with a range of tests, including measures of accuracy and RTs for face, object, and word recognition. A main aim was to use comparable tests across domains. In a case series design, we compare groups (lesion laterality) and analyze single subject performance testing for deficits and dissociations (Crawford et al., 2011). To directly compare performance across domains in individual patients, we also created a composite score for each domain. Here, we address the questions: 1) Are there clear diferences in distribution of scores on tests of face and word recognition in patients with left and right PCA stroke? 2) Are there patients with selective deficits in word or face recognition in this sample? Results: Regarding the distribution of scores on individual tests, we find that for face recognition, the left and right lesion groups are surprisingly similar. On reading tests, the most severe deficits are observed in left hemisphere patients, although milder deficits can follow right hemisphere stroke. Turning to the composite scores for faces, objects, and words, a third of our sample show deficits across all domains and this can occur following left, right or bilateral stroke. Some patients show no deficits in either domain. Very few patients show selective deficits / significant dissociations and this is only observed for reading. Interestingly, selective reading deficits can follow both left and right stroke, although the left hemisphere patients show more severe reading deficits. Discussion:Deficits in face, object and word recognition are typically associated and selective deficits are rare in this sample of patients selected on the basis of lesion location (PCA stroke). The distribution of face scores is similar regardless of lesion laterality, while reading deficits are more severe following left sided stroke. Importantly, deficits across domains can be observed following left and right unilateral, as well as bilateral lesions. While we do observe selective deficits in reading, dissociated from face and object performance, this too can occur following injury to either hemisphere. This suggests that the processes underlying word and face recognition may be more bilaterally distributed than indicated by single case neuropsychological studies (and functional imaging). References: Crawford JR et al. Cortex. (2011) 47: 1166-78.