Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round...

Language and Cognition

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Recognition of real and artificial intelligence-generated faces.

Perception·2026

Same author

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Inhibits Contralesional Parietal and Occipital Activity During Imagined Movements After Stroke.

The European journal of neuroscience·2026

Same author

Repeated exposure to motor imagery enhances focal brain activation during motor imagery practice after stroke.

Neuroscience letters·2026

Same author

Comparing Visual Search Efficiency Across Different Facial Characteristics.

Vision (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Same author

Females versus males exhibit greater brain activation in sensorimotor regions during motor imagery after stroke.

Neuroscience·2025

Same author

Does Calm Always Follow the Storm? A Comprehensive Temporal Analysis of Emergency Department Visits in Northern Italy Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Same journal

The cognitive construction of moral scenes: Associations of visuospatial ability and impulsivity with perspective and vividness in mental simulation.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

Same journal

Theta band activity during event-file retrieval is influenced by stimulus salience in the preceding action episode.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

Same journal

Language recovery in Hungarian speakers with aphasia: Roles of phonology and intraindividual variability.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

Same journal

Neural and behavioral dissociations of self-focused and other-focused incentives in trust.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

Same journal

A multiverse analysis of the logical memory test and plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

Same journal

Reading and writing impairments in Spanish-speaking individuals with primary progressive aphasia: A single-case series study.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 22, 2025

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: June 25, 2019

Right hemi-alexia.

Jason Js Barton¹, Cristina Rubino², Andrea Albonico¹

¹Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior

|November 12, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Right hemi-alexia, a rare reading disorder, is likely caused by intra-hemispheric disconnection. This case study demonstrates its existence and potential causes in visual word processing.

Keywords:

Disconnection Inferior longitudinal fasciculus Pure alexia Reading Words

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Published on: November 16, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: June 25, 2019

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Published on: November 16, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Neurolinguistics

Background:

Pure alexia was historically viewed as a disconnection syndrome.
Alternatively, it could stem from selective visual word agnosia due to damage to the visual word form area (VWFA).
Hemi-alexias are typically explained by disconnection, especially left hemi-alexia from splenial lesions impacting inter-hemispheric pathways.

Observation:

A rare case of right hemi-alexia is presented in patient PH, exhibiting severe reading deficits in the right visual field.
Despite a small hemi-scotoma, reading, lexical decisions, and perceptual discrimination of words, letters, and numbers were impaired in the right hemifield.
Object recognition remained intact, suggesting a specific deficit in visual word processing.

Findings:

Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left lateral occipital meningioma with vasogenic edema affecting occipital white matter tracts.
Functional MRI indicated the VWFA was anterior to the tumor.
Post-surgical resection of the tumor led to the resolution of perceptual abnormalities.

Implications:

This case provides evidence for the existence of right hemi-alexia.
The findings suggest intra-hemispheric disconnection of occipital input to the VWFA as the most probable cause.
This challenges previous assumptions and deepens our understanding of visual word processing pathways.