Impaired visual expertise for print in French adults with dyslexia as shown by N170 tuning

► VWFA expertise is reflected by the print tuning of an early ERP component (N170). ► Control adults exhibited larger N170 amplitude for word-like stimuli than for symbols. ► Dyslexics showed no N170 amplitude differences between word-like stimuli and symbols. ► Dyslexics had decoding deficits with greater difficulties to process pseudowords than controls. ► The results are discussed in the context of the phonological mapping deficit theory.