Visual word form area
Visual Word Form Area
The Visual Word Form Area (VWFA) is a functional region of the left fusiform gyrus and surrounding cortex (right hemisphere in some left-handed individuals) that is hypothesized to be involved in identifying words and letters from lower-case letters and words, or more generally symbolic forms, from within the brain's visual system.
Pronunciation
- Visual: /ˈvɪʒʊəl/
- Word: /wɜːrd/
- Form: /fɔːrm/
- Area: /ˈɛəriə/
Etymology
The term "Visual Word Form Area" is derived from its function. "Visual" refers to the visual perception system, "Word" and "Form" refer to the recognition of written words and letters, and "Area" refers to the specific region in the brain where this process occurs.
Function
The Visual Word Form Area is involved in the process of reading and visual recognition. It is hypothesized to be responsible for the pre-lexical processing of visual word forms, its activation is also reported during tasks involving color naming, picture naming, auditory naming, and memory retrieval.
Related Terms
- Fusiform gyrus: The part of the brain where the VWFA is located.
- Orthographic processing: The processing of visual information to recognize written language.
- Phonological processing: The use of the sounds of one's language (phonemes) to process written (orthographic) and spoken (phonological) language.
- Alexia: A condition where the ability to read is lost due to brain damage, often associated with damage to the VWFA.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Visual word form area
- Wikipedia's article - Visual word form area
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