The balance between stability and plasticity of the visual word form area in dyslexia
Mitchell, J.L., Yablonski, M., Stone, H.L. et al. The balance between stability and plasticity of
the visual word form area in dyslexia. Nat Commun 17, 368 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67054-3
Abstract:
Understanding the balance between plastic and persistent traits in the dyslexic brain is critical for
developing effective interventions. This longitudinal intervention study examines the Visual
Word Form Area in dyslexic and typical readers, exploring how this key component of the
brain’s reading circuitry changes with learning. We find that children with dyslexia show
significant differences in Visual Word Form Area presence, size, and tuning properties compared
to typical readers. While reading intervention improves reading skills and increases Visual Word
Form Area size, disparities persist a year later, suggesting that Visual Word Form Area
abnormalities are enduring traits of dyslexia. Our results reveal long-term neural and behavioral
changes, while also elucidating stable differences in the functional architecture of the dyslexic
brain. This work provides comprehensive insights into the potential and limitations of short-term
learning-induced plasticity in human visual cortex.
