Agata Wolna
@awolna.bsky.social
Neuroscience of Language | Post-doc in EvLab at MIT
Data, code, and the newly-identified set of cortical parcels are freely available at osf.io/7594t/. (15/15)
The extended language network: Language-responsive brain areas whose contributions to language remain to be discovered
Hosted on the Open Science Framework
osf.io
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Data, code, and the newly-identified set of cortical parcels are freely available at osf.io/7594t/. (15/15)
Lesson 3️⃣: Non-selective areas may also be important to understand language in the🧠
Some regions respond to both amodal language, as well as to non-linguistic tasks. These mixed functional profiles may reflect a role in integrating information across cortical networks. (14/n)
Some regions respond to both amodal language, as well as to non-linguistic tasks. These mixed functional profiles may reflect a role in integrating information across cortical networks. (14/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Lesson 3️⃣: Non-selective areas may also be important to understand language in the🧠
Some regions respond to both amodal language, as well as to non-linguistic tasks. These mixed functional profiles may reflect a role in integrating information across cortical networks. (14/n)
Some regions respond to both amodal language, as well as to non-linguistic tasks. These mixed functional profiles may reflect a role in integrating information across cortical networks. (14/n)
Lesson 2️⃣: The components of spatially distributed systems are still highly focal.
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Lesson 2️⃣: The components of spatially distributed systems are still highly focal.
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
Lesson 1️⃣: Not all “language tasks” are created equal
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Lesson 1️⃣: Not all “language tasks” are created equal
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
📌To summarize: these are the three main lessons coming from our work: (11/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
📌To summarize: these are the three main lessons coming from our work: (11/n)
We also looked at the Harvard-Oxford Subcortical parcellation where we found selective responses to language in bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi, non-selective but robust responses to both language tasks left thalamus shows, but no proof for neither in the basal ganglia: (10/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
We also looked at the Harvard-Oxford Subcortical parcellation where we found selective responses to language in bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi, non-selective but robust responses to both language tasks left thalamus shows, but no proof for neither in the basal ganglia: (10/n)
To make sure we did not miss anything, we also systematically searched for language-selective responses in 3 standard atalses: DKT, Harvard-Oxford Cortical, and Glasser parcellation. These results converge with our data-driven functional parcellation. (9/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
To make sure we did not miss anything, we also systematically searched for language-selective responses in 3 standard atalses: DKT, Harvard-Oxford Cortical, and Glasser parcellation. These results converge with our data-driven functional parcellation. (9/n)
These 12 new regions constitute new targets for systematic evaluation in future work, to understand how they contribute to language processing, and whether their role is distinct from that of the core language areas. (8/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
These 12 new regions constitute new targets for systematic evaluation in future work, to understand how they contribute to language processing, and whether their role is distinct from that of the core language areas. (8/n)
… two regions in the right and one in the left cerebellum (for in-depth characterization of cerebellar language regions look out for an imminent preprint from @coltoncasto.bsky.social!): (7/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
… two regions in the right and one in the left cerebellum (for in-depth characterization of cerebellar language regions look out for an imminent preprint from @coltoncasto.bsky.social!): (7/n)
… bilateral areas in the ventral temporal poles and the left BTLA (see also Jin Li's work: tinyurl.com/2t98jkks): (6/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
… bilateral areas in the ventral temporal poles and the left BTLA (see also Jin Li's work: tinyurl.com/2t98jkks): (6/n)
…which leaves 12 newly established language-selective regions!
These include three medial frontal regions and a region in the left precuneus: (5/n)
These include three medial frontal regions and a region in the left precuneus: (5/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
…which leaves 12 newly established language-selective regions!
These include three medial frontal regions and a region in the left precuneus: (5/n)
These include three medial frontal regions and a region in the left precuneus: (5/n)
Using group-constrained subject-specific parcellation, we identified 27 candidate language regions in the🧠.
22 of the 27 regions show robust, amodal response to language, and 20 are selective for language. These include the core language regions and their right homotopes. (4/n)
22 of the 27 regions show robust, amodal response to language, and 20 are selective for language. These include the core language regions and their right homotopes. (4/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Using group-constrained subject-specific parcellation, we identified 27 candidate language regions in the🧠.
22 of the 27 regions show robust, amodal response to language, and 20 are selective for language. These include the core language regions and their right homotopes. (4/n)
22 of the 27 regions show robust, amodal response to language, and 20 are selective for language. These include the core language regions and their right homotopes. (4/n)
We then tested whether these areas—defined within individuals by the reading-based localizer (A), generalize to auditory language comprehension (B), and whether they are selective relative to a non-linguistic difficult task (C). (3/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
We then tested whether these areas—defined within individuals by the reading-based localizer (A), generalize to auditory language comprehension (B), and whether they are selective relative to a non-linguistic difficult task (C). (3/n)
Here using a dataset of 772 participants who completed a validated language localizer task (reading sentences vs. nonwords), we identified a set of 27 candidate language-responsive regions in the brain. (2/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Here using a dataset of 772 participants who completed a validated language localizer task (reading sentences vs. nonwords), we identified a set of 27 candidate language-responsive regions in the brain. (2/n)
Language processing recruits a left fronto-temporal🧠network. However, language tasks often engage regions beyond this core system. As many paradigms don’t isolate language from speech or task demands, it’s hard to know if these non-core areas are real "language" regions. (1/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Language processing recruits a left fronto-temporal🧠network. However, language tasks often engage regions beyond this core system. As many paradigms don’t isolate language from speech or task demands, it’s hard to know if these non-core areas are real "language" regions. (1/n)
Lesson 2️⃣: The components of spatially distributed systems are still highly focal.
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Lesson 2️⃣: The components of spatially distributed systems are still highly focal.
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
At the individual level, the full set of 22 language-selective areas, although distributed across many brain regions, takes up <1.5% of the brain volume—about the size of a large🍓. (13/n)
Lesson 1️⃣: Not all “language tasks” are created equal
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Lesson 1️⃣: Not all “language tasks” are created equal
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
Some brain areas where responses to “language tasks” have been reported don’t survive our criteria for what counts a high-level, amodal and selective language region These include occipital areas and the basal ganglia. (12/n)
📌To summarize: these are the three main lessons coming from our work: (11/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
📌To summarize: these are the three main lessons coming from our work: (11/n)
We also looked at the Harvard-Oxford Subcortical parcellation where we found selective responses to language in bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi, non-selective but robust responses to both language tasks left thalamus shows, but no proof for neither in the basal ganglia: (10/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
We also looked at the Harvard-Oxford Subcortical parcellation where we found selective responses to language in bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi, non-selective but robust responses to both language tasks left thalamus shows, but no proof for neither in the basal ganglia: (10/n)
To make sure we did not miss anything, we also systematically searched for language-selective responses in 3 standard atalses: DKT, Harvard-Oxford Cortical, and Glasser parcellation. These results converge with our data-driven functional parcellation. (9/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
To make sure we did not miss anything, we also systematically searched for language-selective responses in 3 standard atalses: DKT, Harvard-Oxford Cortical, and Glasser parcellation. These results converge with our data-driven functional parcellation. (9/n)
These 12 new regions constitute new targets for systematic evaluation in future work, to understand how they contribute to language processing, and whether their role is distinct from that of the core language areas. (8/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
These 12 new regions constitute new targets for systematic evaluation in future work, to understand how they contribute to language processing, and whether their role is distinct from that of the core language areas. (8/n)
… two regions in the right and one in the left cerebellum (for in-depth characterization of cerebellar language regions look out for an imminent preprint from
@coltoncasto.bsky.social !): (7/n)
@coltoncasto.bsky.social !): (7/n)
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
… two regions in the right and one in the left cerebellum (for in-depth characterization of cerebellar language regions look out for an imminent preprint from
@coltoncasto.bsky.social !): (7/n)
@coltoncasto.bsky.social !): (7/n)