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Speech-sound discrimination in neonates as measured with MEG

2004; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 15; Issue: 13 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00001756-200409150-00018

1473-558X

Anu Kujala, Minna Huotilainen, Merja Hotakainen, Mietta Lennes, Lauri Parkkonen, Vineta Fellman, Risto Näätänen,

Phonetics and Phonology Research

Magnetic brain responses to speech sounds were measured in 10 healthy neonates. The stimulation consisted of a frequent vowel sound [a:] with a steady pitch contour, which was occasionally replaced by the vowel [i:] with a steady pitch, or the vowel [a:] with a rising pitch, manifesting a change of intonation. The magnetic mismatch-negativity response (MMNm) was obtained and successfully modelled to the speech sound quality change in all infants and to the intonation change in 6 infants. The present results indicate that auditory-cortex speech-sound discrimination may well be studied with magnetic recordings as early as in newborn infants.