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Gorina-Careta N, Arenillas-Alcón S, Puertollano M, Mondéjar-Segovia A, Ijjou-Kadiri S, Costa-Faidella J, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. Exposure to bilingual or monolingual maternal speech during pregnancy affects the neurophysiological encoding of speech sounds in neonates differently. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1379660. [PMID: 38841122 PMCID: PMC11150635 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1379660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Exposure to maternal speech during the prenatal period shapes speech perception and linguistic preferences, allowing neonates to recognize stories heard frequently in utero and demonstrating an enhanced preference for their mother's voice and native language. Yet, with a high prevalence of bilingualism worldwide, it remains an open question whether monolingual or bilingual maternal speech during pregnancy influence differently the fetus' neural mechanisms underlying speech sound encoding. Methods In the present study, the frequency-following response (FFR), an auditory evoked potential that reflects the complex spectrotemporal dynamics of speech sounds, was recorded to a two-vowel /oa/ stimulus in a sample of 129 healthy term neonates within 1 to 3 days after birth. Newborns were divided into two groups according to maternal language usage during the last trimester of gestation (monolingual; bilingual). Spectral amplitudes and spectral signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at the stimulus fundamental (F0) and first formant (F1) frequencies of each vowel were, respectively, taken as measures of pitch and formant structure neural encoding. Results Our results reveal that while spectral amplitudes at F0 did not differ between groups, neonates from bilingual mothers exhibited a lower spectral SNR. Additionally, monolingually exposed neonates exhibited a higher spectral amplitude and SNR at F1 frequencies. Discussion We interpret our results under the consideration that bilingual maternal speech, as compared to monolingual, is characterized by a greater complexity in the speech sound signal, rendering newborns from bilingual mothers more sensitive to a wider range of speech frequencies without generating a particularly strong response at any of them. Our results contribute to an expanding body of research indicating the influence of prenatal experiences on language acquisition and underscore the necessity of including prenatal language exposure in developmental studies on language acquisition, a variable often overlooked yet capable of influencing research outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natàlia Gorina-Careta
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Puertollano
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Mondéjar-Segovia
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Siham Ijjou-Kadiri
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal – Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Ribas-Prats T, Arenillas-Alcón S, Martínez SIF, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. The frequency-following response in late preterm neonates: a pilot study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1341171. [PMID: 38784610 PMCID: PMC11112609 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1341171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Infants born very early preterm are at high risk of language delays. However, less is known about the consequences of late prematurity. Hence, the aim of the present study is to characterize the neural encoding of speech sounds in late preterm neonates in comparison with those born at term. Methods The speech-evoked frequency-following response (FFR) was recorded to a consonant-vowel stimulus /da/ in 36 neonates in three different groups: 12 preterm neonates [mean gestational age (GA) 36.05 weeks], 12 "early term neonates" (mean GA 38.3 weeks), and "late term neonates" (mean GA 41.01 weeks). Results From the FFR recordings, a delayed neural response and a weaker stimulus F0 encoding in premature neonates compared to neonates born at term was observed. No differences in the response time onset nor in stimulus F0 encoding were observed between the two groups of neonates born at term. No differences between the three groups were observed in the neural encoding of the stimulus temporal fine structure. Discussion These results highlight alterations in the neural encoding of speech sounds related to prematurity, which were present for the stimulus F0 but not for its temporal fine structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ribas-Prats
- Brainlab–Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab–Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Irene Ferrero Martínez
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal–Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal–Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab–Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Lin CW, Liu HM, Liu CY, Chu YH, Wang ST, Chen CW. Effects of parents' voice on reducing heel puncture pain in high-risk newborns: A randomized controlled trial. Nurs Crit Care 2024; 29:521-531. [PMID: 37632338 DOI: 10.1111/nicc.12966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-risk newborns, such as premature or severely ill infants, often experience painful treatments and separation from their parents. While previous studies have focused on the positive impacts of a mother's voice on newborns' physiology and pain response, research on the father's voice and vocal acoustics in high-risk newborns is limited. AIM To examine whether parents' voices reduce heel puncture pain in high-risk newborns and the relationship between parents' vocal acoustics, physiological parameters and pain response. STUDY DESIGN A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with 105 high-risk newborn-parent dyads. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: recorded mother's voice, recorded father's voice or control group without any recorded voice. Outcome measures included heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and pain response assessed using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale. Data analysis utilized generalized estimation equations, and parents' vocal acoustics were analysed using Praat voice credit software. RESULTS The mother's voice group exhibited significantly lower heart rates at 1, 5 and 10 min after the procedure, along with lower respiratory rates and pain levels at 5 and 10 min after the procedure compared with the control group. Similarly, the father's voice group demonstrated significantly lower heart rates at 1 and 5 min after the procedure, decreased respiratory rates at 5 and 10 min after the procedure and reduced pain levels at 1 and 5 to 10 min after the procedure compared with the control group. Higher minimum and mean pitches in parents' voices correlated with slower heart rates, while slower parental speech was associated with reduced newborn pain. CONCLUSION Both maternal and paternal vocal interventions alleviated pain during heel puncture procedures among high-risk newborns. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The noninvasive intervention serves as a reference for parental participation in care. Nurses can help parents to intervene with the acoustic characteristics that alleviate pain among high-risk newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Wei Lin
- College of Nursing, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Huei-Mei Liu
- Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yu Liu
- Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hung Chu
- Department of Nursing, Lin Shin Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shou-Tzu Wang
- Department of Nursing, Lin Shin Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Chen
- College of Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Ribas-Prats T, Cordero G, Lip-Sosa DL, Arenillas-Alcón S, Costa-Faidella J, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. Developmental Trajectory of the Frequency-Following Response During the First 6 Months of Life. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:4785-4800. [PMID: 37944057 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of the present study is to characterize the maturational changes during the first 6 months of life in the neural encoding of two speech sound features relevant for early language acquisition: the stimulus fundamental frequency (fo), related to stimulus pitch, and the vowel formant composition, particularly F1. The frequency-following response (FFR) was used as a snapshot into the neural encoding of these two stimulus attributes. METHOD FFRs to a consonant-vowel stimulus /da/ were retrieved from electroencephalographic recordings in a sample of 80 healthy infants (45 at birth and 35 at the age of 1 month). Thirty-two infants (16 recorded at birth and 16 recorded at 1 month) returned for a second recording at 6 months of age. RESULTS Stimulus fo and F1 encoding showed improvements from birth to 6 months of age. Most remarkably, a significant improvement in the F1 neural encoding was observed during the first month of life. CONCLUSION Our results highlight the rapid and sustained maturation of the basic neural machinery necessary for the phoneme discrimination ability during the first 6 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ribas-Prats
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gaël Cordero
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diana Lucia Lip-Sosa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
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Novitskiy N, Chan PHY, Chan M, Lai CM, Leung TY, Leung TF, Bornstein MH, Lam HS, Wong PCM. Deficits in neural encoding of speech in preterm infants. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101259. [PMID: 37257249 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm children show developmental cognitive and language deficits that can be subtle and sometimes undetectable until later in life. Studies of brain development in children who are born preterm have largely focused on vascular and gross anatomical characteristics rather than pathophysiological processes that may contribute to these developmental deficits. Neural encoding of speech as reflected in EEG recordings is predictive of future language development and could provide insights into those pathophysiological processes. We recorded EEG from 45 preterm (≤ 34 weeks of gestation) and 45 term (≥ 38 weeks) Chinese-learning infants 0-12 months of (corrected) age during natural sleep. Each child listened to three speech stimuli that differed in lexically meaningful pitch (2 native and 1 non-native speech categories). EEG measures associated with synchronization and gross power of the frequency following response (FFR) were examined. ANCOVAs revealed no main effect of stimulus nativeness but main effects of age, consistent with earlier studies. A main effect of prematurity also emerged, with synchronization measures showing stronger group differences than power. By detailing differences in FFR measures related to synchronization and power, this study brings us closer to identifying the pathophysiological pathway to often subtle language problems experienced by preterm children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Novitskiy
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Peggy H Y Chan
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mavis Chan
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chin Man Lai
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tak Yeung Leung
- Department of Obsterics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ting Fan Leung
- Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, USA; UNICEF, USA; Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK
| | - Hugh S Lam
- Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Ribas-Prats T, Arenillas-Alcón S, Pérez-Cruz M, Costa-Faidella J, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. Speech-Encoding Deficits in Neonates Born Large-for-Gestational Age as Revealed With the Envelope Frequency-Following Response. Ear Hear 2023:00003446-990000000-00115. [PMID: 36759954 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present envelope frequency-following response (FFRENV) study aimed at characterizing the neural encoding of the fundamental frequency of speech sounds in neonates born at the higher end of the birth weight continuum (>90th percentile), known as large-for-gestational age (LGA). DESIGN Twenty-five LGA newborns were recruited from the maternity unit of Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children's Hospital and paired by age and sex with 25 babies born adequate-for-gestational age (AGA), all from healthy mothers and normal pregnancies. FFRENVs were elicited to the/da/ syllable and recorded while the baby was sleeping in its cradle after a successful universal hearing screening. Neural encoding of the stimulus' envelope of the fundamental frequency (F0ENV) was characterized through the FFRENV spectral amplitude. Relationships between electrophysiological parameters and maternal/neonatal variables that may condition neonatal neurodevelopment were assessed, including pregestational body mass index (BMI), maternal gestational weight gain and neonatal BMI. RESULTS LGA newborns showed smaller spectral amplitudes at the F0ENV compared to the AGA group. Significant negative correlations were found between neonatal BMI and the spectral amplitude at the F0ENV. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that in spite of having a healthy pregnancy, LGA neonates' central auditory system is impaired in encoding a fundamental aspect of the speech sounds, namely their fundamental frequency. The negative correlation between the neonates' BMI and FFRENV indicates that this impaired encoding is independent of the pregnant woman BMI and weight gain during pregnancy, supporting the role of the neonatal BMI. We suggest that the higher adipose tissue observed in the LGA group may impair, via proinflammatory products, the fine-grained central auditory system microstructure required for the neural encoding of the fundamental frequency of speech sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ribas-Prats
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Míriam Pérez-Cruz
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Maria Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Gorina-Careta N, Ribas-Prats T, Arenillas-Alcón S, Puertollano M, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. Neonatal Frequency-Following Responses: A Methodological Framework for Clinical Applications. Semin Hear 2022; 43:162-176. [PMID: 36313048 PMCID: PMC9605802 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The frequency-following response (FFR) to periodic complex sounds is a noninvasive scalp-recorded auditory evoked potential that reflects synchronous phase-locked neural activity to the spectrotemporal components of the acoustic signal along the ascending auditory hierarchy. The FFR has gained recent interest in the fields of audiology and auditory cognitive neuroscience, as it has great potential to answer both basic and applied questions about processes involved in sound encoding, language development, and communication. Specifically, it has become a promising tool in neonates, as its study may allow both early identification of future language disorders and the opportunity to leverage brain plasticity during the first 2 years of life, as well as enable early interventions to prevent and/or ameliorate sound and language encoding disorders. Throughout the present review, we summarize the state of the art of the neonatal FFR and, based on our own extensive experience, present methodological approaches to record it in a clinical environment. Overall, the present review is the first one that comprehensively focuses on the neonatal FFRs applications, thus supporting the feasibility to record the FFR during the first days of life and the predictive potential of the neonatal FFR on detecting short- and long-term language abilities and disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natàlia Gorina-Careta
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Teresa Ribas-Prats
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marta Puertollano
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - M Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,Address for correspondence Carles Escera, Ph.D. Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of BarcelonaPasseig Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 BarcelonaSpain
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Teichert T, Gnanateja GN, Sadagopan S, Chandrasekaran B. A Linear Superposition Model of Envelope and Frequency Following Responses May Help Identify Generators Based on Latency. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2022; 3:441-468. [PMID: 36909931 PMCID: PMC10003646 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Envelope and frequency-following responses (FFRENV and FFRTFS) are scalp-recorded electrophysiological potentials that closely follow the periodicity of complex sounds such as speech. These signals have been established as important biomarkers in speech and learning disorders. However, despite important advances, it has remained challenging to map altered FFRENV and FFRTFS to altered processing in specific brain regions. Here we explore the utility of a deconvolution approach based on the assumption that FFRENV and FFRTFS reflect the linear superposition of responses that are triggered by the glottal pulse in each cycle of the fundamental frequency (F0 responses). We tested the deconvolution method by applying it to FFRENV and FFRTFS of rhesus monkeys to human speech and click trains with time-varying pitch patterns. Our analyses show that F0ENV responses could be measured with high signal-to-noise ratio and featured several spectro-temporally and topographically distinct components that likely reflect the activation of brainstem (<5 ms; 200-1000 Hz), midbrain (5-15 ms; 100-250 Hz), and cortex (15-35 ms; ~90 Hz). In contrast, F0TFS responses contained only one spectro-temporal component that likely reflected activity in the midbrain. In summary, our results support the notion that the latency of F0 components map meaningfully onto successive processing stages. This opens the possibility that pathologically altered FFRENV or FFRTFS may be linked to altered F0ENV or F0TFS and from there to specific processing stages and ultimately spatially targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Teichert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - G. Nike Gnanateja
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Srivatsun Sadagopan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Relevance to the higher order structure may govern auditory statistical learning in neonates. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5905. [PMID: 35393525 PMCID: PMC8989996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09994-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Hearing is one of the earliest senses to develop and is quite mature by birth. Contemporary theories assume that regularities in sound are exploited by the brain to create internal models of the environment. Through statistical learning, internal models extrapolate from patterns to predictions about subsequent experience. In adults, altered brain responses to sound enable us to infer the existence and properties of these models. In this study, brain potentials were used to determine whether newborns exhibit context-dependent modulations of a brain response that can be used to infer the existence and properties of internal models. Results are indicative of significant context-dependence in the responsivity to sound in newborns. When common and rare sounds continue in stable probabilities over a very long period, neonates respond to all sounds equivalently (no differentiation). However, when the same common and rare sounds at the same probabilities alternate over time, the neonate responses show clear differentiations. The context-dependence is consistent with the possibility that the neonate brain produces more precise internal models that discriminate between contexts when there is an emergent structure to be discovered but appears to adopt broader models when discrimination delivers little or no additional information about the environment.
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Ribas-Prats T, Arenillas-Alcón S, Lip-Sosa DL, Costa-Faidella J, Mazarico E, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. Deficient neural encoding of speech sounds in term neonates born after fetal growth restriction. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13189. [PMID: 34758093 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Infants born after fetal growth restriction (FGR)-an obstetric condition defined as the failure to achieve the genetic growth potential-are prone to neurodevelopmental delays, with language being one of the major affected areas. Yet, while verbal comprehension and expressive language impairments have been observed in FGR infants, children and even adults, specific related impairments at birth, such as in the ability to encode the sounds of speech, necessary for language acquisition, remain to be disclosed. Here, we used the frequency-following response (FFR), a brain potential correlate of the neural phase locking to complex auditory stimuli, to explore the encoding of speech sounds in FGR neonates. Fifty-three neonates born with FGR and 48 controls born with weight adequate-for-gestational age (AGA) were recruited. The FFR was recorded to the consonant-vowel stimulus (/da/) during sleep and quantified as the spectral amplitude to the fundamental frequency of the syllable and its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The outcome was available in 45 AGA and 51 FGR neonates, yielding no differences for spectral amplitudes. However, SNR was strongly attenuated in the FGR group compared to the AGA group at the vowel region of the stimulus. These findings suggest that FGR population present a deficit in the neural pitch tracking of speech sounds already present at birth. Our results pave the way for future research on the potential clinical use of the FFR in this population, so that if confirmed, a disrupted FFR recorded at birth may help deriving FGR neonates at risk for postnatal follow-ups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ribas-Prats
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Diana Lucia Lip-Sosa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Edurne Mazarico
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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