Acquired dyslexia in three writing systems: Study of a Portuguese-Japanese bilingual aphasic patient

Issue title: Acquired Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Across Scripts

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Senaha, Mirna Lie Hosogi | de Mattos Pimenta Parente, Maria Alice

Affiliations: Member of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil | Institute of Psychology, Department of Developmental and Personality Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Note: [] Corresponding author: Mirna Lie Hosogi Senaha, Ph.D., Rua Montesquieu, 371/62, Chácara Klabin, São Paulo, CEP 04116-190, SP, Brazil. Tel.: +55 11 5081 7363; Fax: +55 11 3288 8684; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The Japanese language is represented by two different codes: syllabic and logographic while Portuguese employs an alphabetic writing system. Studies on bilingual Portuguese-Japanese individuals with acquired dyslexia therefore allow an investigation of the interaction between reading strategies and characteristics of three different writing codes. The aim of this study was to examine the differential impact of an acquired brain lesion on the reading of the logographic, syllabic and alphabetic writing systems of a bilingual Portuguese-Japanese aphasic patient (PF). Results showed impaired reading in the logographic system and when reading irregularly spelled Portuguese words but no effects on reading regular words and nonwords in syllabic and alphabetic writing systems. These dissociations are interpreted according to a multi-route cognitive model of reading assuming selective damage in the lexical route can result in acquired dyslexia across at least three different writing codes.

Keywords: Acquired dyslexia, written systems, surface dyslexia, kanji-kana, lexical reading, bilingualism, dissociation

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-119001

Journal: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 255-272, 2012