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Alexia, also known as pure word blindness or agnosia Alexia, is a disorder characterized by a partial or complete inability to read. It is not a problem with vision but rather an impairment in language comprehension. Alexia can manifest in different subtypes with varying signs and symptoms, but all affected individuals experience difficulties in reading, either with reduced speed or complete impairment.
There are three main types of alexia based on the area of the brain that is affected:
This type occurs when the occipital region of the brain is damaged. The visual word form area (VWFA), responsible for processing visual input into language understanding, is affected. Individuals with this subtype can still understand words when spelt out by another person or themselves, as the auditory input remains intact.
In this type, damage occurs to the angular gyrus. Patients with alexia with agraphia struggle with reading and comprehending spelt-out words. This subtype is often associated with aphasia (language impairment) and agraphia (inability to write).
Caused by an anterior lesion in the left hemisphere, frontal alexia affects the interpretation of written language. Reading comprehension is decreased, but individuals can recover word identity by recognizing common words or content words. Complete or partial letter blindness can also occur.
The symptoms of alexia include:
The most common cause of alexia is a stroke affecting the dominant cerebral hemisphere (usually the left side of the brain). Damage to the angular gyrus of the left hemisphere can result in various language-related deficits, including alexia, Broca's aphasia, and Wernicke's aphasia.
The diagnosis of alexia involves:
Treatment for alexia depends on the specific area of the brain affected. While complete recovery is rare, symptoms can be managed and improved. Some effective techniques and therapies for alexia include:
Complications of alexia include a range of reading impairments, varying from irreversible loss of comprehension to mild reading difficulties. Alexia is often associated with other neurocognitive abnormalities such as aphasia, hemiplegia, visual field impairments, and even death. Individuals with Alexia may be treated as illiterate and may face social challenges and potential feelings of insult.
The most common risk factor for alexia is poor cardiovascular health, which can lead to strokes or thromboembolic ischemic events.
Recovery from alexia is rare, and the prognosis is unpredictable, depending on various factors. People with pure alexia have seen positive results from multiple oral re-reading methods. However, due to the limited data and scarcity of patients, large-scale research is challenging, and definitive treatment for alexia has not been established.
Reviewed by Dr. Sanjay Saxena, Senior Director & HOD, Neurosciences, Neurology on 06-Jun-2023.
Max Healthcare is home to 5000 eminent doctors in the world, most of whom are pioneers in their respective fields. Additionally, they are renowned for developing innovative and revolutionary clinical procedures.
Max Healthcare is home to 5000 eminent doctors in the world, most of whom are pioneers in their respective fields. Additionally, they are renowned for developing innovative and revolutionary clinical procedures.
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