Alexia, Without Agraphia

Synonyms

Disconnection syndrome; Pure alexia; Pure word blindness; Word blindness

Definition

Alexia without agraphia is an acquired inability to comprehend written language as a consequence of brain damage. It is a disorder of written language. A specialized variety of aphasia, this term alexia without agraphia refers to a specific disability in reading where the ability to write is preserved. There may be intact auditory and verbal aspects of language but there is a loss of efficient reading despite adequate visual acuity. It was first described by Dejerine in a patient with an associated incomplete right homonymous hemianopia from a lesion of the left fusiform and lingual gyri. The left angular gyrus stores the visual representation of words (needed for reading and writing), and a disconnection of the visual inputs crossing in the splenium of the corpus callosum of one hemisphere (typically the intact right occipital lobe) from the left angular gyrus could disrupt reading but leave...