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Infant temperament and the brainstem auditory evoked response in later childhood
S A Woodward1, M H McManis, J Kagan
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. sawt@wjh.harvard.edu
Insights
High reactive infants showed distinct brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) by age 10-12. This physiological difference in brainstem activity supports early temperament classification in children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Infant temperament, specifically reactivity to unfamiliar stimuli, is a stable individual difference.
- High reactive infants often develop inhibited or fearful temperaments.
- Adult introverts exhibit faster brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) wave V latency compared to extroverts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if early infant temperament (high vs. low reactivity) is associated with measurable differences in brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) in preadolescent children.
- To explore the neurophysiological correlates of early temperamental classifications.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated BAERs in 56 children aged 10-12 years.
- Children were previously classified as high or low reactive to unfamiliar stimuli at 4 months of age.
- BAERs, specifically wave V components and latency, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Children classified as high reactive at 4 months exhibited larger wave V components in their BAERs compared to low reactive children.
- This finding suggests potentially greater excitability in the auditory pathway projections to the inferior colliculus in high-reactive children.
Conclusions:
- Fundamental differences in brainstem activity can distinguish preadolescent children based on their early temperamental groups.
- Physiological data, such as BAERs, are valuable for understanding the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of temperament.
- This research supports the long-term stability of temperamental traits and their neurophysiological markers.
Abstract:
Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were evaluated on 10-12-year-old children (N = 56) who had been classified as high or low reactive to unfamiliar stimuli at 4 months of age. BAER measurement was selected because high reactive infants tend to become inhibited or fearful young children, and adult introverts have a faster latency to wave V of the BAER than do extroverts. Children previously classified as high reactive at 4 months had larger wave V components than did low reactive children, a finding that possibly suggests greater excitability in projections to the inferior colliculus. The fact that a fundamental feature of brainstem activity differentiated preadolescent children belonging to two early temperamental groups supports the value of gathering physiological data in temperament research.