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Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Learning01:18

Introduction to Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
Stages of Sleep01:22

Stages of Sleep

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Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

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NREM Sleep
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The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

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RBD is significantly associated with...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

How to Obtain Reliable Visual Event-related Potentials in Newborns
07:39

How to Obtain Reliable Visual Event-related Potentials in Newborns

Published on: October 24, 2019

Newborn infants learn during sleep.

William P Fifer1, Dana L Byrd, Michelle Kaku

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. wpf1@columbia.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 19, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Newborn infants can learn predictive relationships even during sleep. This early learning ability, observed through eye movement conditioning, may be vital for infant adaptation and identifying developmental risks.

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Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

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11:18

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Published on: June 1, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Infant learning
  • Sleep studies

Background:

  • Newborns must adapt to a new environment after birth.
  • Learning from experience is crucial for this adaptation.
  • Infants spend a significant amount of time sleeping.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if newborns can learn during sleep.
  • To explore the neural basis of learning in sleeping neonates.
  • To assess the potential of eye movement conditioning for early developmental screening.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded bioelectrical activity (EEG) from sleeping newborns.
  • Used an eye movement conditioning procedure pairing a tone with an air puff to the eye.
  • Analyzed EEG data for evidence of learning and memory updating.

Main Results:

  • Sleeping newborns demonstrated rapid learning of the tone-puff predictive relationship.
  • A frontally maximal positive EEG slow wave was observed, suggesting memory updating.
  • Eyelid conditioning in neonates indicates functional cerebellar circuitry.

Conclusions:

  • Newborns exhibit learning capabilities while asleep.
  • Postnatal learning during sleep is critical for infant adaptation and survival.
  • Eye movement conditioning offers a potential tool for early detection of developmental disorders like autism and dyslexia.