Category specificity in reading and writing: the case of number words

Abstract
In standard models, word meanings contribute to reading words aloud and writing them to dictation1,2,3. It is known that categories of knowledge and the associated word meanings can be spared or impaired selectively4, but it has not been possible to demonstrate that category-specific effects apply to reading and writing. Here we report the case of a neurodegenerative patient with selectively spared numerical abilities whose brain damage left him able to read and write only number words.