Infants
Key Words:
o Joint Attention = the ability to co-ordinate attention with a social partner.
Key Studies:
Nystrom et al (2011): mirror neuron system activity identified in adults by analysis of
the mu rhythm through EEG- the infant alpha rhythm (5-9Hz) has been suggested as
the infant mu rhythm. Mu rhythm in 9month old infants is attenuated when
performing a reaching task or observing someone else perform it. There was greater
desynchronisation of the mu rhythm at central areas in 8month old infants when
they observed goal-directed actions (compared to non-goal directed actions), a
similar desynchronisation has been found in adults (when do infants understand
others actions?).
= links between perception and action may correspond to common brain processes
and underly an understanding of others.
Henderson et al (2002): infants aged 14-18months had cortical regions related to
initiating joint attention.
Caplan et al (1993): PET scans of infants about to go into epilepsy surgery showed
those with higher levels of glucose metabolism in the left frontal cortex also
performed better when initiating joint attention after surgery.
Dehane-Lambetz et al (2010): 2-month-old infants who listened to speech activated
the left hemisphere (in the planum temporale). There were significantly stronger
responses elicited by the mother’s voice in brain regions involving emotion,
communication and language (neuroimaging study, auditory processing).
Dehane-Lambetz et al (2002): 2-3month old infants listening to speech displayed
activation of the superior temporal and angular gyri, with greater activation on the
left. When awake, the right prefrontal cortex was also activated. These areas are
similar to those activated in adult subjects who are retrieving verbal information
from memory (neuroimaging study, auditory processing).
Kotilahti et al (2010): newborns have more developed activation in the left
hemisphere compared to the right = the typical speech lateralisation to the left
hemisphere has already started in the newborn (spectroscopy study, auditory
processing)
Mahmoudzadeh et al (2013): in premature infants the cortical organisation layers
aren’t complete. Discrimination responses to a change in phenome (ba vs ga) and
change in human voice were already present, where both types of changes elicited
responses in the right frontal region, only the left frontal region reacted to a change
of phenome = this study emphasises the influence of innate factors on regions
involved in linguistic processing and social communication in humans (spectroscopy
study, auditory processing).
Guttorm et al (2001): differences in brain responses to rapidly changing acoustic
information between infants with a familial risk for dyslexia and control p’s.
Activation patterns reflected syllable discrimination that were greater over the right
Key Words:
o Joint Attention = the ability to co-ordinate attention with a social partner.
Key Studies:
Nystrom et al (2011): mirror neuron system activity identified in adults by analysis of
the mu rhythm through EEG- the infant alpha rhythm (5-9Hz) has been suggested as
the infant mu rhythm. Mu rhythm in 9month old infants is attenuated when
performing a reaching task or observing someone else perform it. There was greater
desynchronisation of the mu rhythm at central areas in 8month old infants when
they observed goal-directed actions (compared to non-goal directed actions), a
similar desynchronisation has been found in adults (when do infants understand
others actions?).
= links between perception and action may correspond to common brain processes
and underly an understanding of others.
Henderson et al (2002): infants aged 14-18months had cortical regions related to
initiating joint attention.
Caplan et al (1993): PET scans of infants about to go into epilepsy surgery showed
those with higher levels of glucose metabolism in the left frontal cortex also
performed better when initiating joint attention after surgery.
Dehane-Lambetz et al (2010): 2-month-old infants who listened to speech activated
the left hemisphere (in the planum temporale). There were significantly stronger
responses elicited by the mother’s voice in brain regions involving emotion,
communication and language (neuroimaging study, auditory processing).
Dehane-Lambetz et al (2002): 2-3month old infants listening to speech displayed
activation of the superior temporal and angular gyri, with greater activation on the
left. When awake, the right prefrontal cortex was also activated. These areas are
similar to those activated in adult subjects who are retrieving verbal information
from memory (neuroimaging study, auditory processing).
Kotilahti et al (2010): newborns have more developed activation in the left
hemisphere compared to the right = the typical speech lateralisation to the left
hemisphere has already started in the newborn (spectroscopy study, auditory
processing)
Mahmoudzadeh et al (2013): in premature infants the cortical organisation layers
aren’t complete. Discrimination responses to a change in phenome (ba vs ga) and
change in human voice were already present, where both types of changes elicited
responses in the right frontal region, only the left frontal region reacted to a change
of phenome = this study emphasises the influence of innate factors on regions
involved in linguistic processing and social communication in humans (spectroscopy
study, auditory processing).
Guttorm et al (2001): differences in brain responses to rapidly changing acoustic
information between infants with a familial risk for dyslexia and control p’s.
Activation patterns reflected syllable discrimination that were greater over the right
