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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Localizing the development of covert attention in infants with scalp event-related potentials
1Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA. richards-john@sc.edu
Insights
Infant attention development was studied using event-related potentials (ERPs). Findings show that covert attention shifts and saccade planning mature significantly between 14 and 26 weeks of age.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Cognitive psychology
- Infant visual attention
Background:
- Covert attention shifts are crucial for visual processing.
- Understanding infant attention development provides insights into early cognitive abilities.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) offer a non-invasive method to study infant brain activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of covert attention shifts in infants.
- To examine the neural correlates of attention and saccade planning using ERPs.
- To determine age-related changes in attention mechanisms from 14 to 26 weeks.
Main Methods:
- A spatial cuing procedure was employed with infants aged 14, 20, and 26 weeks.
- Scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured.
- Reaction times and specific ERP components (P1, presaccadic potentials) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Infants demonstrated covert attention shifts, including inhibition of return, which increased with age.
- A larger P1 ERP component was observed on validly cued trials.
- Presaccadic potentials were larger for targets at cued locations, with age-related increases noted.
Conclusions:
- Cortical development in infants parallels the maturation of covert attention and saccade planning.
- The findings suggest significant developmental changes in visual attention mechanisms within the first six months of life.
- ERPs are effective in revealing age-dependent neural processes underlying attention in early development.
Abstract:
This study examined covert shifts of attention in infants aged 14, 20, and 26 weeks of age with scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs). The infants were tested in a spatial cuing procedure. The reaction time to localize the target showed covert attention shifts (e.g., response facilitation or inhibition of return depending on cue-target stimulus onset asynchrony). There was a larger P1 ERP component on the valid trials than on the invalid trials or on the no-cue control trials. Presaccadic ERP potentials in response to the target were larger when it was in the cued location than when it was in uncued locations. There were increases from 14 to 26 weeks of age in the amount of inhibition of return, in the post-target-onset P1 effect, and in the presaccadic ERP potentials. These results suggest that cortical development parallels the development of covert orienting of attention and saccade planning in infants in this age range.
