Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This review paper presents converging evidence from studies of brain damage and longitudinal studies of language in aging which supports the following thesis: the neural basis of language can best be understood by the concept of neural multifunctionality. In this paper the term “neural multifunctionality ” refers to incorporation of nonlinguistic functions into language models of the intact brain, reflecting a multifunctional perspective whereby a constant and dynamic interaction exists among neural networks subserving cognitive, affective, and praxic functions with neural networks specialized for lexical retrieval, sentence comprehension, and discourse processing, giving rise to language as we know it. Byway of example, we consider effects of executive system functions on aspects of semantic processing among persons with and without aphasia, as well as the interaction of executive and language functions among older adults. We conclude by indicating how this multifunctional view of brain-language relations extends to the realm of language recovery from aphasia, where evidence of the influence of nonlinguistic factors on the reshaping of neural circuitry for aphasia rehabilitation is clearly emerging. 1.

I would first like to thank my committee members for their valuable feedback and insight. Daniel, my chair, deserves special thanks for embarking on a line of research with me that was new to both of us. Additionally, I am grateful he members of the Attention and Cognitive Control lab (Josh, Joe, Jerome, and Kamin) for their feedback on my presentations and writing, as well as their insights into experimental design and analysis. My family provided me with limitless support both before this process and throughout it. Throughout my life my parents have given me all of the educational opportunities and encouragement possible. Equipped with the skills and preparation they provided, the decision to embark on a Ph.D. was an easy one. Even in graduate school they were helpful consultants with both the mechanics and content of my writing and research. My sisters have also guided me through this process with endless advice, and served as role models as they completed their graduate work before me. I am also grateful to the Moore family for treating me as a daughter/sister and for being true cheerleaders of my career.

Abstract not found

Neural networks underlying contributions from semantics in reading aloud

Language journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/b&l Syntactic processing in the human brain: What we know, what we don’t know,