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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
P50 Sensory Gating in Infants
Published on: December 26, 2013
Measuring temporal resolution in infants using mismatch negativity
L J Trainor1, S S Samuel, R N Desjardins
1Department of Psychology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1.
Insights
Mismatch negativity (MMN) measures auditory temporal resolution in infants. Six-month-olds show adult-like gap detection, enabling further study of auditory development and language acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Auditory Neuroscience
Background:
- Auditory temporal resolution is crucial for speech perception.
- Measuring auditory temporal resolution in infants is challenging due to attentional and response requirements.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) offer a non-invasive method to assess auditory processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of mismatch negativity (MMN) for assessing auditory temporal resolution in human infants.
- To determine infant gap detection thresholds using MMN.
- To explore the developmental trajectory of auditory temporal processing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically mismatch negativity (MMN).
- Presented infrequent auditory stimuli with varying silent gap durations (4, 8, 12 ms) to 6-month-old infants.
- Analyzed MMN and other ERP components (P2, P3a-like positivity) in response to stimuli.
Main Results:
- Silent gaps of 4, 8, and 12 ms modulated the P2 component and elicited MMN.
- Infants demonstrated P3a-like positivity in response to the deviant stimuli.
- Within-channel gap detection thresholds at 6 months were comparable to adult levels under low-adaptation conditions.
Conclusions:
- Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a viable measure for auditory temporal resolution in infants.
- Early auditory temporal resolution abilities are mature by 6 months of age.
- MMN allows for lifespan studies of auditory temporal processing, potentially linking infant abilities to later language acquisition.
Abstract:
We show that the mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the event-related potential can be used to measure auditory temporal resolution in human infants. Infrequent stimuli with silent gaps of 4, 8, or 12 ms modulated the P2 component, generated MMN, and produced a P3a-like positivity. The data indicate that within-channel gap detection thresholds at 6 months are essentially at adult levels under conditions of little adaptation. Since MMN is elicited without attention and does not require a behavioural response, it can be measured similarly across the lifespan. We are now in a position to study the development of cross-channel temporal resolution and adaptation effects in infancy, and to examine how these abilities in infancy relate to later language acquisition.
