Word-form dyslexia
Abstract
In this study we have reported our investigation of two patients with an acquired dyslexia characterized by letter-by-letter reading, whole word reading being apparently impossible. It has been shown that this phenomenon of letter-by-letter reading cannot be accounted for by visual or perceptual factors nor by impairment of visual span of apprehension. The exceptionally slow speed of reading was documented and a clear relationship between word length and reading speed established. Performance on tasks considered to maximize whole word reading which at the same time prevent the possibility of letter-by-letter reading, namely, reading script and reading with tachistoscopic presentation, was impaired. The satisfactory performance of these two patients on tasks of picture interpretation suggests that the two components of the syndrome simultanagnosia, letter-by-letter reading and piecemeal perception of complex scenes, are dissociable. Three alternative explanations of letter-by-letter reading are considered and we conclude that in this type of acquired dyslexia there is damage to the system through which a visual word-form is attained.
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Selective damage to the left fusiform region impairs visual but not auditory word recognition.
“Finally, converging neuropsychological evidence indicates that selective damage to the left fusiform region impairs visual but not auditory word recognition (Box 1).”
From The visual word form area: expertise for reading in the fusiform gyrus (2003) · cites this paper as [46]
Pure alexia results in an impaired ability to read words in a rapid, parallel fashion.
“Pure alexia (PA; also known as 'word form dyslexia' or 'letter-byletter reading') results in an impaired ability to read words in a rapid, parallel fashion [46,47].”
From The visual word form area: expertise for reading in the fusiform gyrus (2003) · cites this paper as [46]
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- Authors
- WARRINGTON, E. K., & SHALLICE, T.
- Affiliations
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (GB)
- Venue
- Brain
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1980
- Volume
- 103
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 99-112
- ISSN
- 0006-8950 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2156
- OpenAlex
- W2161474680
- Cited by
- 501
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 10.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- SDL (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Keywords
- acquired dyslexia, letter-by-letter reading, simultanagnosia, visual word recognition, reading speed, word length, tachistoscopic presentation, image interpretation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Agnosia, Attention, Brain Damage, Chronic, Brain Neoplasms, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Dyslexia, Acquired, Female, Glioblastoma, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychological Tests, Reading, Verbal Learning, Visual Fields, Visual Perception
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