title: The role of visual imagery in spelling.
abstract: Current models of spelling posit that information from the orthographic output buffer can be translated into physical letter codes for written output or into name letter codes for spoken output. It is not known, at present, whether or not visualization of these codes is necessary to spell or recognize orally spelled words. We report a 73-year-old woman who could spell words better than she could image them and who demonstrated near flawless recognition of orally spelled words. We conclude that visual imagery is not necessary to either spell or recognize orally spelled words.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shuren
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Heilman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001037:Aphasia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004538:Eidetic Imagery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013067:Speech Perception; D014956:Writing