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Journal articles 

2024​​

  • Mahowald, K.*, Ivanova, A.*, Blank, I.A., Kanwisher, N., Tenenbaum, J., & Fedorenko, E. (2024) Dissociating language and thought in large language models: a cognitive perspective. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. pdf

  • Malik-Moraleda, S.*, Jouravlev, O.*, Taliaferro, M., Mineroff, Z., Cucu, T., Mahowald, K., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (2024). Functional characterization of the language network of polyglots and hyperpolyglots with precision fMRI. Cerebral Cortex. pdf

  • Sueoka, Y., Paunov, A., Ivanova, A., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (in press) The language network reliably ‘tracks’ naturalistic meaningful non-verbal stimuli. Neurobiology of Language. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00135

  • Zhang, Y, Guo, X, Son, J.Y., Blank, I.A.*, & Stigler, J.W.* (2024) Watching Videos of a Drawing Hand Improves Students’ Understanding of the Normal Probability Distribution. Memory & Cognition. pdf

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​2023

  • Blank, I.A. (2023). What are large language models supposed to models? Trends in Cognitive Sciences. pdf

  • Hauptman, M., Blank, I.A.*, & Fedorenko, E.* (2023) Non-literal language processing is jointly supported by the language and Theory of Mind networks: Evidence from a novel meta-analytic fMRI approach. Cortex, 162, 96-114. pdf

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2022

  • Shain, C., Blank, I.A., Fedorenko, E., Gibson, E., & Schuler, W. (2022). Robust effects of working memory demand during naturalistic language comprehension in language-selective cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 42(39), 7412-7430. pdf

  • Lipkin, B., Tuckute, G., Affourtit, J., Small, H., Mineroff, Z., Kean, H.*, Jouravlev, O.,* Rakocevic, L.*, Pritchett, B.*, Siegelman, M.*, Hoeflin, C.*, Pongos, A.*, Blank, I.A.*, Kline Struhl, M.*, Ivanova, A.*, Shannon, S., Sathe, A., Hoffmann, M., Nieto- Castañón, A., & Fedorenko, E. (2022) Probabilistic atlas for the language network based on fMRI data from >800 individuals. Scientific Data, 9, 529. DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01645-3 pdf

  • Paunov, A., Blank, I.A., Jouravlev, O., Mineroff, Z., Gallée, J., & Fedorenko, E. (2022) Differential tracking of linguistic vs. mental state content in naturalistic stimuli by language and Theory of Mind (ToM) brain networks. Neurobiology of Language, 3, 413-440. DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00071  pdf

  • Grand, G.*, Blank, I.A.*, Pereira, F., & Fedorenko, E. (2022). Semantic projection recovers rich human knowledge of multiple object features from word embeddings. Nature Human Behaviour. DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01316-8 pdf

  • Tuckute, G., Paunov, A., Kean, H., Small, H., Mineroff, Z., Blank, I.A., & Feodrenko, E. (2022). Frontal language areas do not emerge in the absence of temporal language areas: A case study of an individual born without a left temporal lobe. Neuropsychologia, 169, 108184. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108184 pdf

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2021

  • Schrimpf, M., Blank, I.A.*, Tuckute, G.*, Kauf, C.*, Hosseini, E., Kanwisher, N., Tenenbaum, J., & Fedorenko, E. (2021). The neural architecture of language: Integrative modeling converges on predictive processing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(45), DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105646118 pdf

  • Wehbe, L., Blank, I.A., Shain, C., Futrell, R., Levy, R., von der Malsburg, T., Smith, N., Gibson, E., & Fedorenko, E. (2021). Incremental language comprehension difficulty predicts activity in the language network but not the multiple demand network. Cerebral Cortex, 31(9), 4006-4023. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab065 pdf

  • Jouravlev, O., Mineroff, Z., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (2021). The small and efficient language network of polyglots and hyper-polyglots. Cerebral Cortex, 31(1), 62-76. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa205 pdf

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2020

  • Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (2020) No evidence for functional distinctions across fronto-temporal language regions in their temporal receptive windows. NeuroImage, 219, 116925. DOI: j.neuroimage.2020.116925 pdf

  • Fedorenko, E., & Blank, I.A. (2020). Broca’s area is not a natural kind. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 24(4), 270-284. DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.01.001 pdf

  • Shain, C.*, Blank, I.A.*, van Schijndel, M., Schuler, W., & Fedorenko, E. (2020). fMRI reveals language-specific predictive coding during naturalistic sentence comprehension. Neuropsychologia, 138, 107307. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107307 pdf

  • Futrell, R., Gibson, E., Tily, H., Blank, I.A., Vishnevetsky, A., Piantadosi, S., & Fedorenko, E. (2020). The Natural Stories Corpus: A reading-time corpus of English texts containing rare syntactic constructions. Language Resources & Evaluation, 55, 63-77. pdf materials

  • Diachek, E.*, Blank, I.A.*, Siegelman, M.*, & Fedorenko, E. (2020). The domain-general multiple demand (MD) network does not support core aspects of language comprehension: a large-scale fMRI investigation. Journal of Neuroscience, 40(23), 4536-4550. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2036-19.2020 pdf

  • Assem, M., Blank, I.A., Mineroff, Z., Ademoglu, A., & Fedorenko, E. (2020). Neural Activity in the Fronto-Parietal Multiple Demand Network Robustly Predicts Individual Differences In Working Memory And Fluid Intelligence. Cortex, 131, 1-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.06.013 pdf

  • Fedorenko, E., Blank I.A., Mineroff, Z., & Siegelman, M. (2020). Lack of selectivity for syntactic processing relative to the processing of word meanings within the language network. Cognition, 203, 104348. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104348 pdf

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2019

  • Siegelman, M., Mineroff, Z., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (2019). An attempt to conceptually replicate a dissociation between syntax and semantics during sentence comprehension. Neuroscience, 413, 219-229. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.06.003 pdf

  • Paunov, A., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (2019). Functionally distinct language and Theory of Mind networks are synchronized at rest and during language comprehension. Journal of Neurophysiology, 121(4), 1244-1265. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00619.2018 pdf

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Pre-2019

  • Mineroff, Z.*, Blank, I.A.*, Mahowald, K., & Fedorenko, E. (2018) A robust dissociation among the language, multiple demand, and default mode networks: evidence from inter-region correlations in effect size. Neuropsychologia, 119, 501-511. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.011 pdf

  • Bernstein, M., Erez, Y., Blank, I.A., & Yovel, G. (2018) An Integrated Neural Framework for Dynamic and Static Face Processing. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 7036. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25405-9 pdf

  • Blank, I.A., Kiran, S., & Fedorenko, E. (2017). Can neuroimaging help aphasia researchers? Addressing generalizability, variability, and interpretability. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 34(6), 377-393. DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2017.1402756 pdf

  • Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. (2017) Domain-general brain regions do not track linguistic input as closely as language-selective regions. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(41), 9999–10011. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3642-16.2017 pdf

  • Chai, L.R., Mattar, M.G., Blank, I.A., Fedorenko, E., & Bassett, D.S. (2016) Functional network dynamics of the language system. Cerebral Cortex, 26(11), 4148-4159. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw238 pdf

  • Blank, I.A., Balewski, Z., Mahowald, K., & Fedorenko, E. (2016). Syntactic processing is distributed across the language system. Neuroimage, 127, 307-323. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.11.069 pdf

  • Blank, I.A., Kanwisher, N., & Fedorenko, E. (2014). A functional dissociation between language and multiple demand regions revealed in patterns of BOLD fluctuations. Journal of Neurophysiology, 112(5): 1105-1118. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00884.2013 pdf

  • Blank, I.A., & Yovel, G. (2011). The structure of face-space is tolerant to lighting and viewpoint transformations. Journal of Vision, 11(8), 207-219. DOI: 10.1167/11.8.15 pdf

Papers in progress 

  • Mahowald, K.*, Ivanova, A.*, Blank, I.A., Kanwisher, N., Tenenbaum, J., & Fedorenko, E. (in revision) Dissociating language and thought in large language models: a cognitive perspective. arxiv

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. (submitted) Semantic norm extrapolation is a missing data problem. psyArxiv

Conference talks

​2024

  • McGee, T., Blank, I.A. “Syntax-Specialized” Attention Heads in Large Language Models are Influenced by Semantics. 6th California Area Meetup on Psycholinguistics. Palo Alto, CA, Jan 2024.

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​2021

  • Yen, M., Blank, I.A.*, & Mahowald, K.* Competing Effects of Syntax and Animacy in Priming of Relative Clause Attachment. 4th California Area Meetup on Psycholinguistics. Irvine, CA, May 2021 (online).

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2020

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Meaning, Megastudies, and Missing Data. Words in the World Conference. October 2020.

  • Schrimpf, M., Blank, I.A.*, Tuckute, G.*, Kauf, C.*, Hosseini, E., Kanwisher, N., Tenenbaum, J., & Fedorenko, E. Artificial Neural Networks Accurately Predict Language Processing in the Brain. Society for the Neurobiology of Language. October 2020.

  • Blank, A., Blank, I.A.*, & Fedorenko, E.* An alternative to “random effects” with higher validity, reliability, and power. #OBHMX Twitter Conference. March 2020.

  • Shain, C., Blank, I.A., van Schijndel, M., Fedorenko, E., & Schuler, W. Prediction in the language network is sensitive to syntactic structure.  33rd CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Amherst, MA, March 2020.

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2019

  • Diachek, E., Siegelman, M., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. The domain-general multiple demand (MD) network does not support core aspects of language comprehension: a large-scale fMRI investigation. Architectures and Mechanisms of Language Processing (AMLaP). Moscow, Russia, September 2019.

  • Futrell, R., Qian, P., Gibson, E., Fedorenko, E., & Blank, I.A. Syntactic dependencies correspond to word pairs with high mutual information. SyntaxFest. Paris, France, August 2019.

  • Grand, G.*, Blank, I.A.*, Pereira, F., & Fedorenko, E. Semantic projection: Recovering human knowledge of multiple, distinct object properties from natural word collocations. 32th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Boulder, CO, March 2019.

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Pre-2019

  • Futrell, R., Gibson, E., Tily, H., Blank, I.A., Vishnevetsky, A., Piantadosi, S., & Fedorenko, E. The Natural Stories Corpus. Proceedings of 11th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC). Miyazaki, Japan, May 2018.

  • Fedorenko, E., Mineroff, Z., Siegelman, M., & Blank, I.A. The distinction between lexico-semantic and syntactic processing is not an organizing dimension of the human language system. 30th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Cambridge, MA, March 2017.

  • Blank, I.A., Rohter, S., Kiran, S., & Fedorenko, E. Functional reorganization of the large-scale brain networks that support high-level cognition following brain damage in aphasia. Society for the Neurobiology of Language 8th meeting. London, UK, Aug 2016.

  • Blank, I.A., Rohter, S., Kiran, S., & Fedorenko, E. Functional reorganization of the large-scale brain networks that support high-level cognition following brain damage in aphasia. Academy of Aphasia 53rd Annual Conference. Tuscon, AZ, Oct 2015.

  • Rohter, S., Blank, I.A., Fedorenko, E., & Kiran, S. Neural correlates of recovery and rehabilitation. Academy of Aphasia 53rd Annual Conference. Tuscon, AZ, Oct 2015.

  • Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. Inter-subject correlations of cortical activity during natural language processing. 28th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Los Angeles, CA, March 2015.

  • Blank, I.A., & Yovel, G. The configuration of face-space is invariant under identity-preserving transformations. 19th annual Israel Society for Neuroscience Meeting. Eilat, Israel, Dec 2010.

Conference posters

2024

  • Denning, J.*, Guo, X.*, Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Do Large Language Models know who did what to whom? 37th Conference on Human Sentence Processing (HSP). Ann Arbor, MI. May 2024.

  • McGee, T., & Blank, I.A. Evidence against syntactic modularity in Large Language Models. 37th Conference on Human Sentence Processing (HSP). Ann Arbor, MI. May 2024.

  • Feghhi, E.*, Hadidi, N.*, Blank, I.A.†, & Cao, J. †. What are large language models mapping to in the brain? Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE). Lisbon, Portugal. March 2024.

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2023​

  • Billot, A., Jhingan, N., Varkanista, M., Falconer, I., Carvalho, N., Blank, I.A., Ryskin, R., Fedorenko, E., & Kiran, S. Robust dissociation between the language and domain-general (multiple-demand) networks in aging and after a stroke. Organization of Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting. Montréal, Canada. July 2023.

  • Shain, C., Blank, I.A., Fedorenko, E., Gibson, E., & Schuler, W. Robust effects of working memory demand in language-selective cortex. 36th Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Pittsburgh, PA. March 2023.

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​2022​

  • Mazooz, S., Yen, M., & Blank, I.A. Men are given the benefit of the doubt in noisy channel processing of English sentences. Abralin Linguistweets Twitter Conference. December 2022.

  • Denning, J.*, Guo, X.*, Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Do artificial language models learn syntax-semantics mappings? Abralin Linguistweets Twitter Conference. December 2022.

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. The English Lexicon Imputation Project. Mental Lexicon. Ontario, Canada, October 2022.

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. The English Lexicon Imputation Project. 35th Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Santa Cruz, CA, March 2022 (online).

  • Mazooz, S., Yen, .M, & Blank, I.A. Men are Given the Benefit of the Doubt in Noisy Channel Processing of English Sentences. 35th Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Santa Cruz, CA, March 2022 (online).

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2021​

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. The English Lexicon Imputation Project. Words in the World Conference. November, 2021 (online).

  • Guo, X., Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Do Artificial Language Models Learn Syntax-Semantics Mappings? 4th California Area Meetup on Psycholinguistics. Irvine, CA, May 2021 (online).

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Computational Estimation of Lexical Semantic Norms: A New Framework. 4th California Area Meetup on Psycholinguistics. Irvine, CA, May 2021 (online).

  • Zhang, Y. Son, J.Y., Blank, I.A.*, & Stigler, J.* Utilizing Dynamic and Embodied Visualization to Facilitate Understanding of Normal Probability Distributions. Cognitive Science Society. Vienna, Austria, July 2021 (online).

  • Guo, X., Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Do Artificial Language Models Learn Syntax-Semantics Mappings? 34th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Philadelphia, PA, March 2021 (online).

  • Snefjella, B., & Blank, I.A. Computational Estimation of Lexical Semantic Norms: A New Framework. 34th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Philadelphia, PA, March 2021 (online).

  • Yen, M., Blank, I.A.*, & Mahowald, K.* Competing Effects of Syntax and Animacy in Priming of Relative Clause Attachment. 34th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Philadelphia, PA, March 2021 (online).

  • Hauptman, M., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. Non-literal language processing is jointly supported by the language and Theory of Mind networks. Cognitive Neuroscience Society, March 2021.

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2020

  • Diachek, E., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. Co-lateralization of linguistic and arithmetic processing to the left hemisphere. Society for the Neurobiology of Language. October 2020.

  • Tuckute, G., Shain, C., Blank, I.A., Wang, M., & Fedorenko, E. Linguistic and conceptual processing are dissociated during sentence comprehension. Society for the Neurobiology of Language. October 2020.

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2019​

  • Tuckute, G., Mineroff, Z., Blank, I.A., Kean, H., & Fedorenko, E. Temporal language areas appear necessary to wire up frontal cortex for language. Society for the Neurobiology of Language 11th meeting. Helsinki, Finland, Aug 2019.

  • Shain, C.*, Blank, I.A.*, van Schijndel, M., Schuler, W., & Fedorenko, E. fMRI reveals language-specific predictive coding during naturalistic sentence comprehension. 32th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. Boulder, CO, March 2019.

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Pre-2019

  • Blank, I.A., Duff, M., Brown-Schmidt, S., & Fedorenko, E. Hippocampal engagement in online, high-level linguistic processing. Society for the Neurobiology of Language 8th meeting. London, UK, Aug 2016.

  • Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. Different high-level language regions integrate information over the same time-window. Society for the Neurobiology of Language 8th meeting. London, UK, Aug 2016.

  • Chai, L.R., Mattar, M.G., Blank, I.A., Fedorenko, E & Bassett, D.S. Functional network dynamics of the language system. Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting. Tampa, FL, Oct 2015.

  • Chai, L.R., Mattar, M.G., Blank, I.A., Fedorenko, E., & Bassett, D.S. Functional network dynamics of the language system. Society for Neuroscience Conference. Chicago, IL, Oct 2015.

  • Wehbe, L., Blank, I.A., Mahowald, K., Futrell, R., Piantadosi, S., Tily, H., Gallee, J., Vishnevetsky, A., Gibson, E., Kanwisher, N., & Fedorenko, E. Neural activity in the fronto-temporal language system predicts online language comprehension difficulty. Annual Society for the Neurobiology of Language Conference. Chicago, IL, Oct 2015.

  • Paunov, A., Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. The language network and the Theory of Mind network show synchronized activity during naturalistic language comprehension. Annual Society for the Neurobiology of Language Conference. Chicago, IL, Oct 2015.

  • Blank, I.A., & Fedorenko, E. The functional dissociation between the language and cognitive control systems persists in subcortical and cerebellar regions. Biennial Conference on Resting State and Brain Connectivity. Cambridge, MA, Sept 2014.

  • Blank I.A., & Fedorenko E. Inter-subject correlations of cortical activity during natural language processing in language-selective regions but not multiple-demand regions. Annual Society for the Neurobiology of Language Conference. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Aug 2014.

  • Bainbridge, W.A., Isola, P., Blank, I.A., & Oliva, A. Establishing a Database for Studying Human Face Photograph Memory. Proceedings of the 34th annual meeting of the Cognitive Science Society Meeting, 1302-1307. Sapporo, Japan, Aug 2012.

  • Blank, I.A., Wolf, L., & Yovel, G. Tolerance is tolerance of similarities: behavioral and computational evidence for a view-tolerant identity representation in face-space. Annual Vision Sciences Society Meeting. Naples, FA, May 2012.

  • Blank, I.A., & Yovel, G. Is face-space a solution to the invariance problem? Annual Vision Sciences Society Meeting. Naples, FA, May 2010.

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