A disorder in which the patient loses the ability to read despite maintaining other cognitive functions, such as understanding speech. The condition is associated with aphasia, a speech disorder usually caused by damage to areas of the brain responsible for processing language, such as Broca’s or Wernicke’s areas. Aphasiatic alexia occurs when the brain areas responsible for the perception of written speech are damaged as a result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other diseases. The patient may have difficulty recognizing written words but still be able to understand spoken language.