That sounds to me like they're testing for the ability to name or remember things. For all we know, the patient (heck, other beings in general) don't experience

That sounds to me like they're testing for the ability to name or remember things. For all we know, the patient (heck, other beings in general) don't experience anything at all (i.e., are philosophical zombies). It's easy to conflate all these things with what we're really trying to get at.