Judy Kim|Shipra Kanjlia|Lotfi B. Merabet|Marina Bedny
Development of the Visual Word Form Area Requires Visual Experience: Evidence from Blind Braille Readers
Johns Hopkins University|Johns Hopkins University|Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary|Harvard University|Johns Hopkins University
learning read causes development letter wordselective region known visual word form area vwfa within human ventral visual object stream readingselective region develop anatomical location according one hypothesis vwfa develops nexus visual inputs retinotopic cortices linguistic input frontotemporal language network reading involves extracting linguistic information visual symbols surprisingly anatomical location vwfa also active blind individuals read braille touch suggesting vision required development vwfa study tested alternative prediction vwfa development fact influenced visual experience predicted absence vision vwfa incorporated frontotemporal language network participates highlevel language processing congenitally blind n 10 9 female 1 male sighted control n 15 9 female 6 male male female participants took part two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments 1 word reading braille blind print sighted participants 2 listening spoken sentences different grammatical complexity groups find blind sighted participants anatomical location vwfa responds written words grammatical complexity spoken sentences suggests blindness region takes highlevel linguistic functions becoming less selective reading generally current findings suggest experience development major effect functional specialization human cortexsignificance statement visual word form area vwfa region human cortex becomes specialized recognition written letters words particular brain region become specialized reading tested hypothesis vwfa develops within ventral visual stream reading involves extracting linguistic information visual symbols consistent hypothesis find congenitally blind braille readers sighted readers print vwfa region active grammatical processing spoken sentences results suggest visual experience contributes vwfa specialization different neural implementations reading possible