Anatomy of the visual word form area: Adjacent cortical circuits and long-range white matter connections

[Display omitted] ► We describe the cortical architecture and white matter tracts of the visual word form area (VWFA). ► The VWFA is adjacent to visual field maps VO-1 and VO-2 and close to the motion selective cortex (hMT). ► The vertical occipital fasciculus connects the VWFA to the angular gyrus and lateral occipital lobe. Circuitry in ventral occipital-temporal cortex is essential for seeing words. We analyze the circuitry within a specific ventral–occipital region, the visual word form area (VWFA). The VWFA is immediately adjacent to the retinotopically organized VO-1 and VO-2 visual field maps and lies medial and inferior to visual field maps within motion selective human cortex. Three distinct white matter fascicles pass within close proximity to the VWFA: (1) the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, (2) the inferior frontal occipital fasciculus, and (3) the vertical occipital fasciculus. The vertical occipital fasciculus terminates in or adjacent to the functionally defined VWFA voxels in every individual. The vertical occipital fasciculus projects dorsally to language and reading related cortex. The combination of functional responses from cortex and anatomical measures in the white matter provides an overview of how the written word is encoded and communicated along the ventral occipital-temporal circuitry for seeing words.