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Brain dysfunction in neonates with cleft palate revealed by the mismatch negativity
M Cheour1, R Ceponiene, J Hukki
1Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland. marie.cheour@helsinki.fi
Insights
Newborns with cleft palate show an attenuated mismatch negativity (MMN) brain response compared to healthy infants. This early MMN difference may signal future learning difficulties, enabling earlier intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- The mismatch negativity (MMN) is an automatic change-detection response in event-related brain potentials (ERPs).
- Previous studies show attenuated MMN in school-age children with CATCH syndrome and cleft palate, often associated with learning difficulties.
- The MMN's potential as an early biomarker for neurodevelopmental issues is under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if MMN is attenuated in newborns with cleft palate compared to healthy controls.
- To assess the MMN response in neonates as a potential early indicator of brain dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Auditory stimuli (1000 Hz frequent, 1100 Hz infrequent) were presented to 9 neonates with cleft palate and 8 healthy controls.
- Mismatch negativity (MMN) was measured using event-related brain potentials (ERPs).
Main Results:
- A prominent MMN was observed in all healthy neonates in response to infrequent tones.
- Only 3 out of 9 neonates with cleft palate exhibited a prominent MMN.
- A significant difference in mean MMN amplitudes to deviant tones was found between the groups.
Conclusions:
- MMN attenuation in newborns with cleft palate suggests early brain dysfunction.
- MMN may serve as an early indicator of potential cognitive disabilities before they manifest.
- Early identification of infants at risk via MMN could facilitate timely rehabilitation.
Objectives:
Our recent studies have demonstrated that the brain's automatic change-detection response, the mismatch negativity (MMN) of the event-related brain potential (ERP), is significantly attenuated in school-age children with CATCH syndrome and in children of the same age with cleft palate but without the CATCH syndrome. Among other problems, various kinds of learning difficulties are commonly reported in these patient groups. The present study aimed at investigating whether the MMN is attenuated already in newborns with cleft palate compared with healthy controls.
Methods:
Stimuli of 1000 Hz were presented frequently and 1100 Hz infrequently to 9 neonates with cleft palate and to 8 healthy controls. Infrequent 1100 Hz stimuli elicited a prominent MMN in all of the healthy children, but only in 3 of the 9 infants with cleft palate.
Results:
A significant difference in the mean amplitudes of responses to deviant tones between the healthy and cleft palate neonates was found.
Conclusions:
MMN may indicate brain dysfunctions long before they have manifested themselves in cognitive disabilities, which would enable one to identify the infants with an elevated risk and to start their rehabilitation much earlier than before.