Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia is defined by reading impairments that are disproportionate to intelligence, motivation, and the educational opportunities considered necessary for reading. Its cause has traditionally been considered to be a phonological deficit, where people have difficulties with differenti...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Heida Maria Sigurdardottir, Inga María Ólafsdóttir, Hélène Devillez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-10-01
Series:Brain Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/11/1427
_version_ 1797511044260691968
author Heida Maria Sigurdardottir
Inga María Ólafsdóttir
Hélène Devillez
author_facet Heida Maria Sigurdardottir
Inga María Ólafsdóttir
Hélène Devillez
author_sort Heida Maria Sigurdardottir
collection DOAJ
description Developmental dyslexia is defined by reading impairments that are disproportionate to intelligence, motivation, and the educational opportunities considered necessary for reading. Its cause has traditionally been considered to be a phonological deficit, where people have difficulties with differentiating the sounds of spoken language. However, reading is a multidimensional skill and relies on various cognitive abilities. These may include high-level vision—the processes that support visual recognition despite innumerable image variations, such as in viewpoint, position, or size. According to our high-level visual dysfunction hypothesis, reading problems of some people with dyslexia can be a salient manifestation of a more general deficit of high-level vision. This paper provides a perspective on how such non-phonological impairments could, in some cases, cause dyslexia. To argue in favor of this hypothesis, we will discuss work on functional neuroimaging, structural imaging, electrophysiology, and behavior that provides evidence for a link between high-level visual impairment and dyslexia.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T05:39:51Z
format Article
id doaj.art-f53b0a9424a34fe69409dc5a987dc27e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2076-3425
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T05:39:51Z
publishDate 2021-10-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Brain Sciences
spelling doaj.art-f53b0a9424a34fe69409dc5a987dc27e2023-11-22T22:37:32ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252021-10-011111142710.3390/brainsci11111427Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in DyslexiaHeida Maria Sigurdardottir0Inga María Ólafsdóttir1Hélène Devillez2Icelandic Vision Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, Saemundargata 12, 102 Reykjavik, IcelandIcelandic Vision Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, Saemundargata 12, 102 Reykjavik, IcelandIcelandic Vision Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, Saemundargata 12, 102 Reykjavik, IcelandDevelopmental dyslexia is defined by reading impairments that are disproportionate to intelligence, motivation, and the educational opportunities considered necessary for reading. Its cause has traditionally been considered to be a phonological deficit, where people have difficulties with differentiating the sounds of spoken language. However, reading is a multidimensional skill and relies on various cognitive abilities. These may include high-level vision—the processes that support visual recognition despite innumerable image variations, such as in viewpoint, position, or size. According to our high-level visual dysfunction hypothesis, reading problems of some people with dyslexia can be a salient manifestation of a more general deficit of high-level vision. This paper provides a perspective on how such non-phonological impairments could, in some cases, cause dyslexia. To argue in favor of this hypothesis, we will discuss work on functional neuroimaging, structural imaging, electrophysiology, and behavior that provides evidence for a link between high-level visual impairment and dyslexia.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/11/1427dyslexiaface perceptionhigh-level visionobject perceptionreading
spellingShingle Heida Maria Sigurdardottir
Inga María Ólafsdóttir
Hélène Devillez
Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia
Brain Sciences
dyslexia
face perception
high-level vision
object perception
reading
title Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia
title_full Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia
title_fullStr Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia
title_full_unstemmed Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia
title_short Words as Visual Objects: Neural and Behavioral Evidence for High-Level Visual Impairments in Dyslexia
title_sort words as visual objects neural and behavioral evidence for high level visual impairments in dyslexia
topic dyslexia
face perception
high-level vision
object perception
reading
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/11/1427
work_keys_str_mv AT heidamariasigurdardottir wordsasvisualobjectsneuralandbehavioralevidenceforhighlevelvisualimpairmentsindyslexia
AT ingamariaolafsdottir wordsasvisualobjectsneuralandbehavioralevidenceforhighlevelvisualimpairmentsindyslexia
AT helenedevillez wordsasvisualobjectsneuralandbehavioralevidenceforhighlevelvisualimpairmentsindyslexia