The human brain is an infinitely complex organ. Although there is much research interested in how and why our minds work the way they do, not all the mysteries surrounding the brain have been solved, and often the study of brain diseases such as cancer, stroke and learning disabilities only bring more questions. This article deals with only one brain disorder, visual aphasia.
What is it?
The word blindness, also known as visual aphasia, alexia, text blindness or acquired dyslexia, is a complex of neurological conditions. It is often caused by strokes or injuries to the brain. Some people even use the wrong term to describe severe classical dyslexia.
Visual aphasia is characterized by the inability to interpret written words, or to distinguish only certain words. Oddly enough, it can prevent people from being able to read, but it doesn’t necessarily prevent them from being able to write. When following a stroke, it is the visual-association areas in the back of the brain that are affected, usually on the left side.
Challenges
A major difficulty with treating visual aphasia is that it can vary so greatly from one person to the next, and many treatments do not offer adequate opportunities to fit everyone.
It is often overlooked following a stroke since many patients suffer from paralysis and verbal aphasia. Medical doctors don’t always think that they can’t read a “bad” stroke.
Results of people with facial visual aphasia after brain injury cannot hang bills, read the signs to get around the street. , follow written instructions such as receipts or directions and the loss of an enjoyable past time due to not being able to read.
Treatment is challenging since this phenomenon, which is caused by visual aphasia, is often accompanied by other neurological damage including verbal aphasia.
Visual vocabulary for aphasia or ViVA, uses a visual library with a computer and PDA to help aphasic patients, day using pictures rather than words . This method of treatment is still being researched because it is effective for various populations and several types of aphasia.
Another promising treatment is tactile-kinesthetic reading, where people with visual aphasia are taught the correct way to write letters, then use a ballpoint pen to sometimes draw letters on palm of the opposite hand until they can read the word one letter at a time. It is believed that this therapy works because it causes the brain to make memories from new neural pathways and motor movements.
It is clear that much more research, awareness, causes and treatments for visual aphasia are required to produce better outcomes for brain injury and stroke survivors who are affected by this disorder.
Citations
Sonya Nikolova, Jordan Boyd-Graber and Perry R. Cook, The ViVA Plan: a mixed-initiative
Visual Vocabulary. CHI 2009 – Focus Works on Implementation.
What is the blindness of the Word? Prudent Geek.
Jose Vega, Alexia, About.com Stroke.
New Therapy helps Alexia’s victims. ABC News.
Reading Rehabilitation After Stroke, Stroke Association.
