Question

What characterizes pure alexia (pure word blindness)?

A) Difficulty in producing speech

B) Inability to comprehend spoken language

C) Difficulty in reading despite preserved writing ability

D) Loss of motor coordination in the hands

Answer 1

Pure alexia, or pure word blindness, is characterized by difficulty in reading despite an individual's ability to write, often due to damage in the brain's language processing regions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Pure alexia, also known as pure word blindness, is characterized by C) Difficulty in reading despite preserved writing ability. This condition arises from damage to the brain's language processing areas, resulting in a disconnection between the visual aspects of language and language comprehension. Individuals with pure alexia can write but have significant trouble reading text; this is different from dyslexia, where difficulties also encompass writing, spelling, and sometimes speaking. Aphasias, including pure alexia, often result from damage to the brain's left hemisphere, particularly in areas like Broca's or Wernicke's areas or the connections between them. Pure alexia should not be confused with receptive aphasia, which involves the loss of the ability to understand received language, or with conduction aphasia, which is the loss of language function related to connecting the understanding of speech with the production of speech, without either specific function being lost.