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...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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Series: | Brain Sciences |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/11/1427 |
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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 |
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