Reading reshapes stimulus selectivity in the visual word form area.

The function of the "visual word form area" (VWFA) is controversial. Some researchers emphasize its bottom-up visual selectivity for words, hence the region's common name. Others argue that its activity is explained by feedback from regions that control attention or language. To seek clarity, we investigated what drives the VWFA: seeing words, attending visually to words, or trying to read words. None of those factors was sufficient on its own. Our results support a hybrid model: the VWFA has inherent selectivity for words, but its function is reshaped by voluntary language processing. Thus, with an integrated analysis of sensory inputs, task demands, and network connectivity, we provide some resolution to debates about this important region.