Pure word blindness, also known as pure alexia or letter by letter reading, is a rare neurological disorder that affects the ability to read words, despite normal intelligence and language skills. It is characterized by a specific impairment in word recognition, while other aspects of visual processing and language comprehension remain intact.
Individuals with pure word blindness experience significant difficulty in reading single words or groups of words, particularly when this requires the recognition of whole word shapes. They may have to read each letter individually and slowly, rather than recognizing or perceiving words as a whole. This results in a laborious and time-consuming reading process.
Pure word blindness typically results from lesions or damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, particularly the areas responsible for visual word processing, such as the angular gyrus. It can occur due to various causes, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, or degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
Although individuals with pure word blindness have difficulty with written language, their ability to speak, comprehend spoken language, and understand the meaning of words remains intact. They may also have normal writing skills. Treatment approaches for pure word blindness vary, but may involve strategies such as letter-by-letter reading and multisensory approaches to enhance reading abilities.
Overall, pure word blindness is a specific and isolating condition that primarily affects reading skills while leaving other cognitive and linguistic abilities intact.
