The mismatch negativity to changes in speech sounds at the age of three months

Author(s): Alho, K., Sainio, K., Reinikainen, K., Renlund, M., Aaltonen, O., Eerola, O., Naatanen, R.

Journal/Book: Develop Neuropsychol. 1997; 13: 10 Industrial Ave, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc. 167-174.

Abstract: This study shows that an infrequent vowel(deviant) presented among frequent vowels (standard) elicits in awake S-month-old infants a negativity in the auditory event-related potential resembling the mismatch negativity elicited by the same stimuli in previous studies in adults (Aaltonen, Niemi, Nyrke, & Tuhkanen, 1987) and newborns (Cheour-Luhtanen et al., 1995). The mismatch negativity amplitude for the deviant vowels was larger and the event-related potentials to standard stimuli were in general more positive in 3-month-old infants than in newborns, which might reflect increased maturation of their nervous system relative to that of newborns.

Note: Article Cheour M, Univ Helsinki, Dept Psychol, Cognit Brain Res Unit, POB 13, FIN-00014 Helsinki, FINLAND

Keyword(s): SELECTIVE-ATTENTION; BRAIN POTENTIALS; MEMORY TRACE; STIMULI; RESPONSES; NEWBORNS; CHILDREN

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