Infant-directed speech facilitates seven-month-old infants' cortical tracking of speech

Marina Kalashnikova; Varghese Peter; Giovanni M Di Liberto; Edmund C Lalor; Denis Burnham

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-32150-6

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Infant-directed speech facilitates seven-month-old infants' cortical tracking of speech

Journal article

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Infant-directed speech facilitates seven-month-old infants' cortical tracking of speech

Marina Kalashnikova, Varghese Peter, Giovanni M Di Liberto, Edmund C Lalor and Denis Burnham

Scientific Reports, Vol.8, pp.1-8

2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32150-6

PMCID: PMC6137049

PMID: 30214000

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Abstract

This study assessed cortical tracking of temporal information in incoming natural speech in seven-month-old infants. Cortical tracking refers to the process by which neural activity follows the dynamic patterns of the speech input. In adults, it has been shown to involve attentional mechanisms and to facilitate effective speech encoding. However, in infants, cortical tracking or its effects on speech processing have not been investigated. This study measured cortical tracking of speech in infants and, given the involvement of attentional mechanisms in this process, cortical tracking of both infant-directed speech (IDS), which is highly attractive to infants, and the less captivating adult-directed speech (ADS), were compared. IDS is the speech register parents use when addressing young infants. In comparison to ADS, it is characterised by several acoustic qualities that capture infants' attention to linguistic input and assist language learning. Seven-month-old infants' cortical responses were recorded via electroencephalography as they listened to IDS or ADS recordings. Results showed stronger low-frequency cortical tracking of the speech envelope in IDS than in ADS. This suggests that IDS has a privileged status in facilitating successful cortical tracking of incoming speech which may, in turn, augment infants' early speech processing and even later language development.

Details

Title: Infant-directed speech facilitates seven-month-old infants' cortical tracking of speech
Authors: Marina Kalashnikova (Author) - Western Sydney University
Varghese Peter (Author) - Western Sydney University
Giovanni M Di Liberto (Author) - Trinity College Dublin
Edmund C Lalor (Author) - Trinity College Dublin
Denis Burnham (Author) - Western Sydney University
Publication details: Scientific Reports, Vol.8, pp.1-8
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Date published: 2018
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32150-6
ISSN: 2045-2322
PMID: 30214000; PMC6137049
Organisation Unit: School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99518706602621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Neurosciences