phonological dyslexia
Pronunciation: fo-no-LOJ-ik-al dis-LEX-ee-ah
A specific reading disorder characterized by difficulty reading novel words and nonwords while preserving sight word reading ability.
Full Definition
Phonological dyslexia is a specific type of acquired reading disorder (alexia) characterized by severe impairment in reading unfamiliar words and pronounceable nonwords, while familiar word reading remains relatively preserved. This pattern reflects damage to the sublexical reading route that converts graphemes to phonemes, forcing reliance on the lexical reading route that recognizes whole words. Patients with phonological dyslexia can read familiar irregular words (yacht, pint) but struggle with regular words they haven't encountered before and cannot read pronounceable nonwords (grint, flobe). The condition typically results from left hemisphere lesions affecting the phonological processing system, particularly in regions associated with grapheme-to-phoneme conversion. Assessment involves comparing performance on word versus nonword reading tasks and analyzing error patterns.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from surface dyslexia and developmental dyslexia in reports.
In Context
- "Phonological dyslexia was evidenced by intact reading of familiar words but inability to decode nonwords." — Reading assessment report
- "The patient's phonological dyslexia pattern suggested damage to sublexical reading pathways." — Cognitive neuropsychology consultation