Reading involves a distributed network with the occipital-temporal region (i.e., the ventral pathway) and the parietal region (i.e., the dorsal pathway) serving as central hubs working synergistically. Multiple cognitive and sensorial processes are involved in reading; therefore, a variable pattern of weaknesses can contribute to reading difficulties across individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the neurocognitive reading network in Italian reading native speakers processing manipulated text. Twelve participants contributed to the fMRI experiment, implemented to probe the magnocellular-dorsal (MD) stream when reading spatially and visually manipulated words. Stimuli consisted of high-frequency three-syllable nouns selected from the Italian lexicon, presented in levels of degradation according to 4 modes (mirroring; rotation; colour-contrast; letter spacing), including normally displayed words. Statistical analysis on typical adult readers revealed reading-specific activation regions. In particular, (i) reading elicits the dorsal stream (Occipital-Inferior area), (ii) activation patterns are specific to the degradation mode (Mirroring: Left-Parietal and Frontal areas; Rotation: Left-Parietal and Left-Postcentral; Contrast: Occipital-Inferior; Spacing: Occipital-Superior and Left-Parietal) and (iii) increasing levels of degradation enhance the involvement of the dorsal stream. Functional data of subjects were analyzed using a GLM modelling the effects of unpracticed reading. Our results confirm the effectiveness of the implemented task and the involvement of the dorsal cortex during degraded word reading, with activation patterns varying based on the type of degradation and level, respectively. Findings confirm that reading engages the MD stream, with activation patterns varying based on the type and level of word degradation.