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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Plasticity in developing brain: active auditory exposure impacts prelinguistic acoustic mapping.

April A Benasich¹, Naseem A Choudhury², Teresa Realpe-Bonilla³

¹Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark, Newark, New Jersey 07102, and benasich@andromeda.rutgers.edu.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|October 3, 2014

Summary

Active infant acoustic experience significantly enhances auditory mapping development compared to passive exposure. This early tuning of neural pathways is crucial for later language skills and may help prevent language disorders.

Keywords:

EEG/ERP acoustic mapping developmental plasticity human infant prelinguistic training

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Area of Science:

Developmental neuroscience
Auditory processing
Infant language acquisition

Background:

Infant auditory mapping is vital for native language processing, relying on neural plasticity and environmental input.
While critical periods exist, the neural mechanisms and impact of active versus passive experience remain unclear.
Animal models show experience modifies sensory cortical representations, but human infant data is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of active versus passive acoustic experience on infant auditory mapping.
To compare neural responses to acoustic stimuli in infants with different types of early experience.
To assess the potential of early auditory tuning for preventing developmental language disorders.

Main Methods:

Utilized event-related potentials (ERPs) to measure neural responses in infants aged 4 to 7 months.
Exposed infants to temporally modulated nonspeech auditory stimuli through active and passive conditions.
Analyzed ERP components (P2, N2*) and waveform morphology to assess acoustic mapping changes.

Main Results:

Both active and passive acoustic experience influenced auditory mapping, with active experience showing a significant advantage.
Active experience enhanced perceptual vigilance and attention, indicated by larger and faster P2 peaks.
Faster N2* latencies, a predictor of later language, and sharpened auditory representations were observed in the active group.
ERP morphology in the active group showed more complex waveforms, resembling those of older typically developing children.

Conclusions:

Active acoustic engagement provides a significant benefit over passive exposure for auditory map development in infants.
Early, experience-dependent tuning of acoustic processing has implications for optimizing language development.
These findings suggest potential interventions for ameliorating or preventing developmental language disorders by targeting early auditory experiences.