Research

How do sentence comprehension and production break down in aphasia? How can they be rehabilitated?

• Krason, A., Middleton, E. L., Whyte, J., & Thothathiri, M. (2025). Developing cognitive control training for aphasia: Insights from treatment theory and enablement theory. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659155/ 

• Thothathiri, M. (2024). Multiple paths to sentence interpretation: Case studies of older adults and persons with aphasia. Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University. Publication Link Here

• Mirman, D., Krason, A., Thothathiri, M., & Middleton, E. L. (2024). Effect of fatigue on word production in aphasia. Psychology & Neuroscience. PMC11310858. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39131511/

• Krason, A., Middleton, E. L., Ambrogi, M. E. P., & Thothathiri, M. (2024). Conflict adaptation in aphasia: Upregulating cognitive control for improved sentence comprehension. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 67(11), 4411–4430. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39378278/

• Thothathiri, M., Kirkwood, J., Patra, A., Krason, A., & Middleton, E. L. (2023). Multimodal measures of sentence comprehension in agrammatism. Cortex, 169, 309-325. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37981441/

• Thothathiri, M., & Mauro, K. L. (2018). The relationship between short-term memory, conflict resolution, and sentence comprehension impairments in aphasia. Aphasiology, 32(3), 264-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2017.1350630 

• Thothathiri, M., Gagliardi, M., & Schwartz, M. F. (2012). Subdivision of frontal cortex mechanisms for language production in aphasia. Neuropsychologia, 50(14), 3284-3294.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.09.021 

• Thothathiri, M., Kimberg, D. Y., & Schwartz, M. F. (2012). The neural basis of reversible sentence comprehension: evidence from voxel-based lesion symptom mapping in aphasia. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24(1), 212-222. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00118 

• Thothathiri, M., Schwartz, M. F., & Thompson-Schill, S. L. (2010). Selection for position: The role of left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in sequencing language. Brain and language, 113(1), 28-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2010.01.002 

What is the interaction between cognitive control and sentence processing in neurotypical adults, children, and aphasia?

• Krason, A., Middleton, E. L., Whyte, J., & Thothathiri, M. (2025). Developing cognitive control training for aphasia: Insights from treatment theory and enablement theory. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659155/

• Krason, A., Middleton, E. L., Ambrogi, M. E. P., & Thothathiri, M. (2024). Conflict adaptation in aphasia: Upregulating cognitive control for improved sentence comprehension. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 67(11), 4411–4430. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39378278/ 

• Thothathiri M, Basnakova J, Lewis AG, Briand JM. Fractionating difficulty during sentence comprehension using functional neuroimaging. Cereb Cortex. 2024 Feb 3:bhae032. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae032. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38314589.

• Patra, A., Kirkwood, J., Middleton, E. L., & Thothathiri, M. (2023). Variation in how cognitive control modulates sentence processing. Royal Society Open Science, 10(4), 211969. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211969. 

• Thothathiri, M., Kidd, E., & Rowland, C.F. (registered report, in principle accepted). The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax. Royal Society Open Science.

• Sharer, K.*, & Thothathiri, M. (2020). Neural mechanisms underlying the dynamic updating of native language. Neurobiology of Language, 1(4), 492–522. https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00023

• Thothathiri, M., Asaro, C. T., Hsu, N. S., & Novick, J. M. (2018). Who did what? A causal role for cognitive control in thematic role assignment during sentence comprehension. Cognition, 178, 162-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.05.014 

• Thothathiri, M., Rattinger, M., & Trivedi, B. (2017). Cognitive control during sentence generation. Cognitive neuroscience, 8(1), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2015.1090421 

• Thothathiri, M., & Rattinger, M. (2015). Controlled processing during sequencing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, 599. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00599 

How does sentence comprehension work in the brain and how does it adjust to continual language experience?

• Thothathiri, M. (2025). Linking verbs to syntax: Investigating error-based verb-syntax links [Paper presentation]. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 47. UC Merced. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6rh29775/

• Thothathiri, M., Kirkwood, J., Patra, A., Krason, A., & Middleton, E. L. (2023). Multimodal measures of sentence comprehension in agrammatism. Cortex, 169, 309-325. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37981441/

• Patra, A., Kirkwood, J., Middleton, E. L., & Thothathiri, M. (2023). Variation in how cognitive control modulates sentence processing. Royal Society Open Science, 10(4), 211969. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211969. 

• Sharer, K.*, & Thothathiri, M. (2020). Neural mechanisms underlying the dynamic updating of native language. Neurobiology of Language, 1(4), 492–522. https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00023

• Thothathiri, M., Asaro, C. T., Hsu, N. S., & Novick, J. M. (2018). Who did what? A causal role for cognitive control in thematic role assignment during sentence comprehension. Cognition, 178, 162-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.05.014 

• Thothathiri, M., Kim, A., Trueswell, J. C., & Thompson-Schill, S. L. (2012). Parametric effects of syntactic–semantic conflict in Broca’s area during sentence processing. Brain and language, 120(3), 259-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2011.12.004 

• Thothathiri, M., & Snedeker, J. (2008). Give and take: Syntactic priming during spoken language comprehension. Cognition, 108(1), 51-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2007.12.012 

• Thothathiri, M., & Snedeker, J. (2008). Syntactic priming during language comprehension in three-and four-year-old children. Journal of Memory and Language, 58(2), 188-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2007.06.012 

• Snedeker, J. and Thothathiri, M. (2008). What lurks beneath: Structural priming during language comprehension in preschoolers (and adults). In I. A. Sekerina, E. M. Fernandez and H. Clahsen (Eds.), Developmental psycholinguistics: On-line methods in children's language processing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

How does sentence production work in the brain and how does it adjust to continual language experience?

• Thothathiri, M., & Levshina, N. (2023). Updating constructions: additive effects of prior and current experience during sentence production. Cognitive Linguistics, 34(3-4), 479-502.

• Thothathiri, M. (2021). Rational and flexible adaptation of sentence production to ongoing Language experience. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 647076. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647076 

• Thothathiri, M., & Braiuca, M. C. (2021). Distributional learning in English: The effect of verb-specific biases and verb-general semantic mappings on sentence production. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 47(1), 113. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000814

• Thothathiri, M. (2018). Statistical experience and individual cognitive differences modulate neural activity during sentence production. Brain and Language, 183, 47-53.

• Thothathiri, M., Evans, D. G., & Poudel, S. (2017). Verb bias and verb-specific competition effects on sentence production. PloS one, 12(7), e0180580. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180580 

• Thothathiri, M., Rattinger, M., & Trivedi, B. (2017). Cognitive control during sentence generation. Cognitive neuroscience, 8(1), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/17588928.2015.1090421 

• Thothathiri, M., & Rattinger, M. G. (2016). Acquiring and producing sentences: Whether learners use verb-specific or verb-general information depends on cue validity. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 404. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00404  

• Thothathiri, M., & Rattinger, M. (2015). Ventral and dorsal streams for choosing word order during sentence production. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(50), 15456-15461. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1514711112 

What are the mental representations and processes that drive sentence comprehension in young children? 

• Thothathiri, M., Kidd, E., & Rowland, C.F. (registered report, in principle accepted). The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax. Royal Society Open Science. 

• Thothathiri, M. (2014). Syntactic/structural priming and language development. In P.J. Brooks and V. Kempe (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Language Development. Sage Publishing.

• Thothathiri, M., Snedeker, J., & Hannon, E. (2012). The Effect of Prosody on Distributional Learning in 12‐to 13‐Month‐Old Infants. Infant and Child Development, 21(2), 135-145. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.734 

• Thothathiri, M., & Snedeker, J. (2008). Syntactic priming during language comprehension in three-and four-year-old children. Journal of Memory and Language, 58(2), 188-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2007.06.012 

• Snedeker, J. and Thothathiri, M. (2008). What lurks beneath: Structural priming during language comprehension in preschoolers (and adults). In I. A. Sekerina, E. M. Fernandez and H. Clahsen (Eds.), Developmental psycholinguistics: On-line methods in children's language processing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

• Thothathiri, M. (2014). Syntactic/structural priming and language development. In P.J. Brooks and V. Kempe (Eds.),Encyclopedia of Language Development. Sage Publishing.

• Snedeker, J. and Thothathiri, M. (2008). What lurks beneath: Structural priming during language comprehension in preschoolers (and adults). In I. A. Sekerina, E. M. Fernandez and H. Clahsen (Eds.), Developmental psycholinguistics: On-line methods in children's language processing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.