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Direct brain recordings reveal impaired neural function in infants with single-suture craniosynostosis: a future
Peter W Hashim1, Eric D Brooks, John A Persing
1From the *Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, †Child Study Center at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, ‡Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, and §Department of Psychology at University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.
Insights
Infants with single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC) show abnormal early speech sound processing, detectable by 6 months. This may predict future language delays, highlighting the need for early neurodevelopmental assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC) is linked to learning disabilities, suggesting abnormal early brain development.
- The precise neural processing derangements in SSC remain largely unknown.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) noninvasively measure cortical activity and predict cognitive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory processing in infants with SSC using ERPs.
- To clarify the developmental onset of neural processing delays in infants with SSC.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 15 infants with untreated SSC and 23 typically developing controls.
- Recorded ERPs during speech sound presentation.
- Focused analyses on P150 and N450 auditory processing components.
Main Results:
- Infants with SSC had significantly lower P150 amplitudes compared to controls.
- No significant differences in N450 component were found between groups.
Conclusions:
- Infants with untreated SSC exhibit atypical speech sound processing.
- These auditory processing differences are detectable by 6 months of age.
- Electrophysiological assessments may predict language delays and evaluate surgical interventions.
Background:
Patients with single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC) are at an elevated risk for long-term learning disabilities. Such adverse outcomes indicate that the early development of neural processing in SSC may be abnormal. At present, however, the precise functional derangements of the developing brain remain largely unknown. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are a form of noninvasive neuroimaging that provide direct measurements of cortical activity and have shown value in predicting long-term cognitive functioning. The current study used ERPs to examine auditory processing in infants with SSC to help clarify the developmental onset of delays in this population.
Methods:
Fifteen infants with untreated SSC and 23 typically developing controls were evaluated. ERPs were recorded during the presentation of speech sounds. Analyses focused on the P150 and N450 components of auditory processing.
Results:
Infants with SSC demonstrated attenuated P150 amplitudes relative to typically developing controls. No differences in the N450 component were identified between untreated SSC and controls.
Conclusions:
Infants with untreated SSC demonstrate abnormal speech sound processing. Atypicalities are detectable as early as 6 months of age and may represent precursors to long-term language delay. Electrophysiological assessments provide a precise examination of neural processing in SSC and hold potential as a future modality to examine the effects of surgical treatment on brain development.
