Alexia

What is Alexia?

Alexia is the term for an acquired condition where a person loses the ability to read, even though they were able to at a prior time, as opposed to the term dyslexia, which is a condition where someone struggles to read and write at any time. Alexia results in "slow and laborious reading, semantic errors, word substitution, frustration and anxiety related to reading tasks, letter-by-letter reading, and mixing up words". Alexia, or word blindness, may go hand in hand with Agraphia, the inability to write, as both are controlled by similar parts of the brain.

What Causes Alexia?

Left Hemisphere of the Brain displaying the areas of visual processing.

Some causes of Alexia include stroke, brain tumors, infections, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, injury to the frontal or occipital lobes of the brain can SEVERELY affect one's ability to read (although damage to any lobe of the brain can cause damage to reading ability). Tumors on the left side of the brain are typically more damaging, as they can injure the neural pathways in the occipital lobe (the part of the brain related to sight functions). Similarly, when a person has had a stroke, the more damage done to the left hemisphere of the brain, the greater the likelihood of a reading impairment. Generally, the left hemisphere of the brain is the part that manages the processes of reading and writing, and if this hemisphere is injured in any way, the chances of getting alexia rise.

Impact of Alexia on Readers and Publishers

It is important to understand these reading related conditions such as alexia and dyslexia because this limits the abilities of authors and publishers to reach these communities through solely print and digital books. Publishers and authors might consider publishing audiobooks or other types of audio media relating to their books in order to reach these types of audiences with greater ease. Unfortunately, due to the standardized nature of large presses, these types of steps are rarely taken, which eliminates, or significantly reduces an entire audience that may consume media that they otherwise may have taken interest in, if presented in a more accessible way.