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Our research explores how language experience and aging shape the way we communicate and how the brain supports these abilities. Dr. Nakamura’s past work has examined bilingual language use and cognitive control, langauge learning, brain connectivity and speech fluency across adulthood, and age-related differences in discourse comprehension.
Our research explores how language experience and aging shape the way we communicate and how the brain supports these abilities. Dr. Nakamura’s past work has examined bilingual language use and cognitive control, langauge learning, brain connectivity and speech fluency across adulthood, and age-related differences in discourse comprehension.
Building on this foundation, the LNA Lab is developing new projects that combine EEG and behavioral methods to investigate how bilingualism, language learning, and aging shape language processing and neural adaptation. These projects will contribute to our broader goal of understanding when and how language experience supports neural flexibility and resilience across adulthood.
Building on this foundation, the LNA Lab is developing new projects that combine EEG and behavioral methods to investigate how bilingualism, language learning, and aging shape language processing and neural adaptation. These projects will contribute to our broader goal of understanding when and how language experience supports neural flexibility and resilience across adulthood.
The studies highlighted below offer a window into the questions and approaches that guide our lab’s developing research program.
The studies highlighted below offer a window into the questions and approaches that guide our lab’s developing research program.
Nakamura, M., Pereira-Soares, S. M., Roggen, A., Diaz, M. T., & Rossi, E. (2026). Social bilingual language use is associated with neural efficiency in inhibitory control: Evidence from ERPs. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S136672892610176X.
Nakamura, M., Zhang, H., & Diaz, M. T. (2026). Age-related differences in resting-state functional connectivity predict specific patterns of speech disfluency. Neurobiology of Language, 7, Article NOL.a.245. https://doi.org/10.1162/NOL.a.245.
Zhang, H., Lei, K., Yu, H., Nakamura, M., & Diaz, M. (2026). Age-related differences in speech production and resting state functional network dynamics. Neurobiology of Language, 7, Article NOL.a.208. https://doi.org/10.1162/NOL.a.208.
Nakamura, M., & Rossi, E. (2026). Neural signatures of word learning: How individual differences shape ERPs and oscillations in the early stages of learning a new language. Neuropsychologia, 223, Article 109359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109359.
Walters, K., Nakamura, M., Cosgrove, A. L., Zhang, H., Troutman, S. B. W., Gertel, V. H., & Diaz, M. T. (2026). Age and discourse task independently influence disfluency production. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00799.
Nakamura, M., & Rossi, E. (2025). Differential effects of working memory constraints on syntactic and semantic processing: Evidence from ERPs. Brain and Language, 264, Article 105550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2025.105550.
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