Infants’ brain responses to social interaction predict future language growth

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34(8), P. 1731 - 1738.e3

Published: April 1, 2024

In face-to-face interactions with infants, human adults exhibit a species-specific communicative signal. Adults present distinctive "social ensemble": they use infant-directed speech (parentese), respond contingently to infants' actions and vocalizations, react positively through mutual eye-gaze smiling. Studies suggest that this social ensemble is essential for initial language learning. Our hypothesis the attracts attentional systems sensorimotor prepare infants vocally, both of which advance Using infant magnetoencephalography (MEG), we measure 5-month-old neural responses during live verbal (F2F) interaction an adult (social condition) control (nonsocial in turns away from speak another person. longitudinal design, tested whether brain these conditions at 5 months age predicted their growth five future time points. Brain areas involved attention (right hemisphere inferior frontal, right superior temporal, parietal) show significantly higher theta activity versus nonsocial condition. Critical theory, found response F2F regions development into third year life, more than 2 years after measurements. We develop view early acquisition underscores centrality ensemble, offer new insight neurobiological components link learning functioning interaction.

Language: Английский

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Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 378(1875)

Published: March 6, 2023

Face-to-face interaction is core to human sociality and its evolution, provides the environment in which most of communication occurs. Research into full complexities that define face-to-face requires a multi-disciplinary, multi-level approach, illuminating from different perspectives how we other species interact. This special issue showcases wide range approaches, bringing together detailed studies naturalistic social-interactional behaviour with larger scale analyses for generalization, investigations socially contextualized cognitive neural processes underpin observe. We suggest this integrative approach will allow us propel forwards science by leading new paradigms novel, more ecologically grounded comprehensive insights interact one another artificial agents, differences psychological profiles might affect interaction, capacity develops has evolved species. theme makes first step direction, aim break down disciplinary boundaries emphasizing value many facets interaction. article part discussion meeting ‘Face2face: advancing social interaction’.

Language: Английский

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Mother–infant social and language interactions at 3 months are associated with infants’ productive language development in the third year of life

Infant Behavior and Development, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 75, P. 101929 - 101929

Published: April 6, 2024

Previous studies underscore the importance of social interactions for child language development-particularly characterized by maternal sensitivity, infant-directed speech (IDS), and conversational turn-taking (CT) in one-on-one contexts. Although infants engage such from third month after birth, prospective link between input sensitivity first half year life later development has been understudied. We hypothesized that embodying IDS CTs 3 months life, are significantly associated with tested this using a longitudinal design. Using sample 40 3-month-old infants, we assessed during structured mother-infant (1:1) interaction based on well-validated scoring system (the Coding Interactive Behavior system). Language (IDS, CT) was naturally occurring at home ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system. outcome measures were obtained 18 to 30 age MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Three novel findings emerged. First, infants' productive scores 18, 21, 24, 27, age. Second, LENA-recorded 1:1 environment positively correlated Third, 27 propose attention early period-enhanced sensitive IDS-are potent factors advancing development.

Language: Английский

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Individual Differences in Infants' Speech Segmentation Performance: The Role of Mother‐Infant Cardiac Synchrony

Infancy, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 30(2)

Published: March 1, 2025

Caregiver-infant coregulation is an early form of communication. This study investigated whether mother-infant biological associated with 9-month-olds' word segmentation performance, a crucial milestone predicting language development. We hypothesized that would relate infants' performance. Additionally, we examined this relationship influenced by the caregiving environment (i.e., parental reflective functioning) and infant's emotional state positive affect). Coregulation was via cardiac synchrony in 28 nine-month-old infants (16 females) during 5-min free-play their German-speaking mothers. Cardiac measured through Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), employing Recurrence Quantification Analysis to evaluate dyadic coupling Rate) predictability Entropy). Infants' eye-tracking central-fixation procedure. A stepwise regression revealed higher coupling, but not predictability, dyads' RSA looking longer toward screen when listening novel as compared familiar test words, indicating advanced performance (Cohen's d = 0.25). Moreover, correlated positively maternal sensitivity mental states, affect. These results suggest caregiver-infant may play foundational role acquisition.

Language: Английский

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Communicative signals during joint attention promote neural processes of infants and caregivers

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 65, P. 101321 - 101321

Published: Dec. 6, 2023

Communicative signals such as eye contact increase infants' brain activation to visual stimuli and promote joint attention. Our study assessed whether communicative during attention enhance infant-caregiver dyads' neural responses objects, their synchrony. To track mutual processes, we applied rhythmic stimulation (RVS), presenting images of objects 12-month-old infants mothers (n = 37 dyads), while recorded activity (i.e., steady-state evoked potentials, SSVEPs) with electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning. Within dyads, either communicatively showed the infant or watched without engagement. cues increased mothers' SSVEPs at central-occipital-parietal, central electrode sites, respectively. Infants significantly more gaze behaviour Dyadic synchrony (SSVEP amplitude envelope correlations, AECs) was not modulated by cues. Taken together, maternal in shape own processes. We show that cortical processing, thus play an essential role social learning. Future studies need elucidate effect on Finally, our introduces RVS dynamics contexts.

Language: Английский

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Relational Neuroscience: insights from hyperscanning research

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 169, P. 105979 - 105979

Published: Dec. 13, 2024

Humans are highly social, typically without this ability requiring noticeable efforts. Yet, such social fluency poses challenges both for the human brain to compute and scientists study. Over last few decades, neuroscientific research of sociality has witnessed a shift in focus from single-brain analysis complex dynamics occurring across several brains, posing questions about what these mean how they relate multifaceted behavioural models. We propose term 'Relational Neuroscience' collate interdisciplinary field devoted modelling inter-brain subserving connections, spanning real-time joint experiences long-term bonds. Hyperscanning, i.e., simultaneously measuring activity multiple individuals, proven be promising technique investigate dynamics. Here, we discuss hyperscanning can help within Relational Neuroscience, considering variety subfields, including cooperative interactions dyads groups, empathy, attachment bonding, developmental neuroscience. While presenting Neuroscience light hyperscanning, our discussion also takes into account behaviour, physiology endocrinology properly interpret contexts. consider strengths but limitations caveats answer interacting people. The aim is provide an integrative framework future work build better theories contexts subfields model sociality.

Language: Английский

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Music’s ability to foster prosocial behavior: a teleofunctionalist perspective

Frontiers in Psychology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15

Published: Jan. 22, 2025

Drawing on recent interdisciplinary music research-biologically or developmental psychologically oriented-which conceptualizes as a communicative toolkit primarily serving affiliative interaction, this paper investigates the question of whether and to what extent is capable fostering prosocial behavior within framework teleofunctionalism-a philosophical theory mind. A teleofunctionalist perspective allows us specify follows: To might function establishing socio-interactional relationships be considered proper music, concept suggested by philosopher Ruth Millikan? From an ontogenetic perspective, musical activities are rooted in protoconversational communication early infancy, characterized interpersonal coordination without involving propositional understanding. These develop into coordinated, non-representational forms vitality, basic empathy, shared intentionality, understanding allowing for experiences. This effect activities-establishing experiences-can music. teleofunctional explanation why practices that foster cooperation reproduced provided participants' positive evaluation experiences structured activities. By discussing activity, author refines her own considerations concerning minimal necessary conditions musicality can conceived broader sense.

Language: Английский

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Emotional content and semantic structure of dialogues are associated with Interpersonal Neural Synchrony in the Prefrontal Cortex

NeuroImage, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 121087 - 121087

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

A fundamental characteristic of social exchanges is the synchronization individuals' behaviors, physiological responses, and neural activity. However, association between how individuals communicate in terms emotional content expressed associative knowledge interpersonal synchrony has been scarcely investigated so far. This study addresses this research gap by bridging recent advances cognitive neuroscience data, affective computing, data science frameworks. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning, prefrontal were collected during interactions involving 84 participants (i.e., 42 dyads) aged 18-35 years. Wavelet transform coherence was used to assess participants. We manual transcription dialogues automated methods codify transcriptions as levels syntactic/semantic networks. Our quantitative findings reveal higher than random expectations superior frontal gyrus (q = .038) bilateral middle gyri (q< .001, q< .001). Linear mixed models based on dialogues' only significantly predicted across cortex (Rmarginal2=3.62%). Conversely, relying features more effective at local level, for predicting brain right (Rmarginal2=9.97%). Generally, not when limited from one region interest a time, whereas show opposite trend, losing predictive power incorporating all regions interest. Moreover, we found an interplay emotions synchrony, providing support major role played these linguistic components processes. identifies mind-brain duality reflecting levels, opening new ways investigating human interactions.

Language: Английский

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Conversational Latency in Autistic Children With Heterogeneous Spoken Language Abilities

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 13

Published: April 3, 2025

Purpose: Conversational latency entails the temporal feature of turn-taking, which is understudied in autistic children. The current study investigated influences child-based and parental factors on conversational children with heterogeneous spoken language abilities. Method: Participants were 46 aged 4–7 years. We remotely collected 15-min naturalistic samples context parent–child interactions to characterize both child parent latency. was operationally defined as time it took for one individual respond their partner using language. Naturalistic transcribed following Systematic Analysis Language Transcripts convention children's input. Autistic measured number different words (NDW). quality quantity input assessed NDW, mean length utterance morphemes (MLUm), frequency per minute (WPM). Additional factors, including receptive socialization skills, evaluated Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Spearman correlation regression analyses conducted investigate relationships between those Results: Older showed longer conversation latencies. Longer associated after controlling age. Greater WPM shorter Child not language, or skills. NDW MLUm. Conclusions: Our findings highlight interaction loop parents everyday interactions. Parents adjusted timing ensure smooth turn-taking when interacting

Language: Английский

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Context Shapes (Proto)Conversations in the First Year of Life

Developmental Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(3)

Published: April 10, 2025

ABSTRACT Speech development occurs in highly variable environments; however, little is known about the effect of situational context on emerging infant vocalizations. At 4 time points (4, 6, 9, and 12 months), we longitudinally measured vocalizations 104 White infant‐caregiver dyads (41 girls) during three play contexts: book‐sharing, toy play, rattle‐shaking. The frequency differed between contexts only at months age. Meanwhile, caregivers systematically spoke more frequently book‐sharing than other from age onwards. Book‐sharing elicited conversational turns dyadic level 9 Our results show emergence vocal differentiation by infants role facilitating early turn‐taking.

Language: Английский

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