Specialization within the ventral stream: the case for the visual word form area.

摘要: Abstract Is there specialization for visual word recognition within the ventral stream of literate human adults? We review evidence a specialized “visual form area” and critically examine some arguments recently placed against this hypothesis. Three distinct forms must be distinguished: functional specialization, reproducible localization, regional selectivity. Examination literature with theoretical division in mind indicates that reading activates precise subpart left occipitotemporal sulcus, patients pure alexia consistently exhibit lesions region (reproducible localization). Second, implements processes adequate specific script, such as invariance across upper- lower-case letters, its lesion results selective loss reading-specific (functional specialization). Third, issue selectivity, namely, existence putative cortical patches dedicated to letter recognition, cannot resolved by positron emission tomography or data, but requires high-resolution neuroimaging techniques. The available from single-subject fMRI intracranial recordings suggests sites respond preferentially strings than other categories stimuli faces objects, though preference is often relative rather absolute. conclude learning read progressive development an inferotemporal increasingly responsive words, which aptly named area (VWFA).