A5046123428- Language, Metaphor, and Cognition
- Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
- Categorization, perception, and language
- Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Language Development and Disorders
- Topic Modeling
- Mental Health Research Topics
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Multisensory perception and integration
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Machine Learning in Healthcare
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience
- Electoral Systems and Political Participation
- Hearing Impairment and Communication
- Linguistic Studies and Language Acquisition
- Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Genomics and Rare Diseases
- Speech and dialogue systems
- Social Media and Politics
- Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)
- Mental Health via Writing
University of Catania
2024-2025
Aarhus University
2018-2024
The University of Texas at Austin
2020-2022
Consensus on standards for evaluating models and theories is an integral part of every science. Nonetheless, in psychology, relatively little focus has been placed defining reliable communal metrics to assess model performance. Evaluation practices are often idiosyncratic affected by a number shortcomings (e.g., failure models’ ability generalize unseen data) that make it difficult discriminate between good bad models. Drawing inspiration from fields such as machine learning statistical...
Abstract This workshop summary on natural language processing (NLP) markers for psychosis and other psychiatric disorders presents some of the clinical research issues that NLP might address activities needed to move in direction. We propose optimal development would occur context efforts map out underlying mechanisms disorders. In this workshop, we identified challenges be addressed developing implementing markers-based Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs) practice, especially with...
Abstract Scientific discoveries often hinge on synthesizing decades of research, a task that potentially outstrips human information processing capacities. Large language models (LLMs) offer solution. LLMs trained the vast scientific literature could integrate noisy yet interrelated findings to forecast novel results better than experts. Here, evaluate this possibility, we created BrainBench, forward-looking benchmark for predicting neuroscience results. We find surpass experts in...
Deep pre-trained vision models provide automated ways of analyzing large digitized corpora visual art. Central to the success these is their ability extract rich embeddings for downstream tasks such as style classification or painting retrieval. Recent results suggest that multimodal trained on a combination and linguistic input yield semantically enhanced higher-quality representations images compared unimodal models. While seem extremely promising computational study art, where semantic...
Abstract Background Emerging evidence suggesting a possible link between the PPP5C gene (protein phosphatase 5 catalytic subunit; OMIM#600658) and developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE, OMIM#308350), although clinical significance of pathogenic variants in this remains unclear. is member protein subunit family, which involved various signaling pathways governing cell growth, differentiation, responses to hormonal signals or cellular stress. To date, only one case with variant has been...
Demonstrative reference is central to human communication. But what influences our choice of demonstrative forms such as "this" and "that" in discourse? Previous literature has mapped the use "proximal" "distal" demonstratives onto spatial properties referents, their distance from speaker. We investigated whether object semantics, specifically functional also influence speakers' choices either form. Over two experiments, we presented English, Danish Italian speakers with words denoting...
Spatial demonstratives are powerful linguistic tools used to establish joint attention. Identifying the meaning of semantically underspecified expressions like "this one" hinges on integration and visual cues, attentional orienting pragmatic inference. This synergy between language extralinguistic cognition is pivotal comprehension in general, but especially prominent demonstratives. In this study, we aimed elucidate which neural architectures enable intertwining using a naturalistic fMRI...
Abstract Linguistic repetitions in children are conceptualized as negative with autism – echolalia, without communicative purpose and positive typically developing (TD) linguistic alignment involved shared engagement, common ground language acquisition. To investigate this apparent contradiction we analyzed spontaneous speech 67 parent–child dyads from a longitudinal corpus (30 minutes of play activities at 6 visits over 2 years). We included 32 35 linguistically matched TD (mean age...
Human spatial representations are shaped by affordances for action offered the environment. A prototypical example is organization of space into peripersonal (within reach) and extrapersonal (outside regions, mirrored proximal (this/here) distal (that/there) linguistic expressions. The peri-/extrapersonal distinction has been widely investigated in individual contexts, but little known about how modulated interaction with other people. Is near/far coding dynamically adapted to position a...
Background: Language development is a highly interactive activity. However, most research on linguistic environment has focused quantity and complexity of input to children, with current models showing that facilitates language in both TD children autistic children.Aims: We investigate the presence sensitivity caregivers’ active reuse their children’s (linguistic alignment), how well it predicts beyond other measures input, taking also into account child’s cognitive, social...
Abstract The extent to which languages share properties reflecting the non-linguistic constraints of speakers who speak them is key debate regarding relationship between language and cognition. A critical case spatial communication, where it has been argued that semantic universals should exist, if anywhere. Here, using an experimental paradigm able separate variation within a from languages, we tested use demonstratives—the most fundamental frequent terms across languages. In n = 874 29...
Spatial demonstratives (words like this and that) have been thought to primarily be used for carving up space into a peripersonal extrapersonal domain. However, when given noun out of context asked couple it with demonstrative, speakers tend choose words denoting manipulable objects (small, harmless, inanimate), while non-manipulable (large, harmful, animate) are more likely coupled that. Here, we extend these findings using the Demonstrative Choice Task (DCT) procedure map demonstrative use...
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has revolutionized cognitive neuroscience, but methodological barriers limit the generalizability of findings from lab to real world. Here, we present Neuroscout, an end-to-end platform for analysis naturalistic fMRI data designed facilitate adoption robust and generalizable research practices. Neuroscout leverages state-of-the-art machine learning models automatically annotate stimuli dozens studies using stimuli—such as movies...
Scientific discoveries often hinge on synthesizing decades of research, a task that potentially outstrips human information processing capacities. Large language models (LLMs) offer solution. LLMs trained the vast scientific literature could integrate noisy yet interrelated findings to forecast novel results better than experts. To evaluate this possibility, we created BrainBench, forward-looking benchmark for predicting neuroscience results. We find surpass experts in experimental outcomes....
Spatial demonstratives are highly frequent linguistic universals, with at least two contrastive expressions (proximal (“this”) vs. distal (“that”)) indicating physical, social, or functional proximity of the speaker to referent object. Recent evidence based on Demonstrative Choice Task (DCT), in which participants couple words a spatial demonstrative no context provided, suggests that use is also indicative experienced emotional self an imagined mental space. As depression characterized by...
abstract Demonstratives ( this/that in English) are pivotal communication. In this study, we show that semantic features of referents systematically influence speakers’ choices demonstrative forms for Spanish nouns the absence a guiding context. We used Demonstrative Choice Task (DCT), previously applied to two-term languages (Danish, English, and Italian), it Spanish, three-term system este/ese/aquel ), test if dimensions driving choice overlap with those found English. 1,639 native...
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has revolutionized cognitive neuroscience, but methodological barriers limit the generalizability of findings from lab to real world. Here, we present Neuroscout, an end-to-end platform for analysis naturalistic fMRI data designed facilitate adoption robust and generalizable research practices. Neuroscout leverages state-of-the-art machine learning models automatically annotate stimuli dozens studies, allowing researchers easily test...