Language function and dysfunction lab

At the Language Function and Dysfunction Lab, we study the psychology, neuropsychology, and neurobiology of language in healthy individuals and in individuals with brain damage.

Our approach is bi-directional. On the one hand, we use models from cognitive neuroscience to better understand language function in neurological populations with the goal of contributing to the development of novel diagnostic tools and methods to improve language capacity in patients. On the other hand, we use observations of the breakdown of language and communicative abilities following brain insult to obtain unique insights informative for cognitive (neuro)science models.

We have a strong focus on language production (because, of course, you can’t do it all!), but are also interested in comprehension and, especially, the intersection between production and comprehension. Most of our work is based on behavioural measures, electrophysiology, diffusion-weighted imaging, and non-invasive brain stimulation.

For teaching resources on language production, check Speaking: The free book (chapter). It’s free and at an appropriate entry level!

Looking for an internship? Contact us!

Lab members

Group leader

Associate investigator

Post-docs

PhD candidates

Master’s students

News

Check our work at SNL 2021!

We will be again at SNL this year (from our homes). Follow the links for more. Matteo will present his work on semantic and phonological context effects using picture-word interference and EEG.

See you virtually at IWOLP 2021!

We are excited about participating in and presenting at the International Workshop on Language Production this year (from our homes). Follow the links for more (links will be updated soon).

See you virtually at SNL 2020!

We are excited about attending SNL this year (from our homes). Follow the links for more. Check Joanna’s poster for exciting findings on the temporal lobe white matter in humans vs chimps.

Check our work at Science of Aphasia 2019 in Rome

We are very excited to present at Science of Aphasia. Click on the links to see more. We will update the pages to include more info later. Joanna will give a talk on comparative neuroanatomy of the posterior temporal lobe at the white matter level: chimps vs humans!

Come see us at SNL 2019 in Helsinki!

We will be presenting lots of interesting stuff at SNL this year. Click on the links to see more. We will update the pages to include more info later.

Recent Work

Fast and slow errors: What naming latencies of errors reveal about the interplay of attentional control and word planning in speeded picture naming

Speakers sometimes produce lexical errors, such as saying salt instead of pepper. This study aimed to better understand the origin of lexical errors by assessing whether they arise from a hasty selection and premature decision to speak (premature selection hypothesis) or from momentary attentional disengagement from the task …

Language and/or memory: How to slice the domain-cake?

Historically, memory and language have been seen as separate cognitive functions and studied in isolation. To date, it remains an open question to what extent these cognitive domains are related. Here, we present the interdisciplinary discussions from the 42nd European Workshop on Cognitive Neuropsychology around the central question …

Neural oscillations in the aging brain associated with interference control in word production

Speaking is not only about retrieving words and structuring them into sentences, but it also requires top-down control to plan and execute speech. In previous electrophysiological research with young-adult speakers, mid-frontal theta oscillations have been observed using a picture-word interference paradigm. With this paradigm, …

Role of inflammation and haemostasis on aetiology and prognosis in young patients with ischaemic stroke: study protocol of the Observational Dutch Young Symptomatic StrokE study—EXTended (ODYSSEY-nEXT) – a multicentre prospective cohort study

Introduction. The cause of ischaemic stroke at a young age remains unknown in 30% of cases, highlighting the need to identify hidden causes and risk factors in young patients. Transient and chronic risk factors may interact with the inflammatory and haemostatic systems, potentially driving key mechanisms in the pathogenesis. The …

Investigating semantic control in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia

Individuals in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease (amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI] and mild dementia) primarily exhibit episodic memory deficits, while the presence of semantic control impairments remains understudied. To explore semantic control and white matter connectivity in individuals with aMCI and …

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