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Updated: Sep 6, 2025
A Within-subjects Experimental Protocol to Assess the Effects of Social Input on Infant EEG
Published on: May 3, 2017
Infants' Prefrontal Hemodynamic Responses and Functional Connectivity During Joint Attention in an Interactive-Live
Nozomi Naoi1, Yasuyo Minagawa2,3,4, Jun-Ichi Yamamoto2,3,4
1Department of Psychology and Linguistics, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Infants
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Infant social cognition
Background:
- Joint attention is crucial for social development.
- Understanding infant brain responses to social cues is vital.
- Previous research lacks real-time infant brain data during joint attention tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate infant brain activity during two types of joint attention.
- To compare hemodynamic responses and functional connectivity in infants.
- To explore prefrontal cortex network recruitment during social interactions.
Main Methods:
- Used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in an interactive-live paradigm.
- Recruited 7-12 month old infants.
- Measured brain responses during infant-initiated (IJA) and partner-initiated (RJA) joint attention.
Main Results:
- Responding to Joint Attention (RJA) showed decreased oxy-Hb in ventral prefrontal cortex and increased activity in the right dorsal prefrontal cortex.
- Initiating Joint Attention (IJA) demonstrated selective bilateral dorsal prefrontal cortex activation.
- Infants displayed enhanced functional connectivity in the right ventral prefrontal cortex during RJA compared to IJA.
Conclusions:
- Infant joint attention involves distinct prefrontal cortex networks.
- RJA and IJA recruit specific, separable neural pathways.
- Findings highlight the neural basis of early social communication skills.
Abstract:
The present study examined cerebral hemodynamic responses and functional connectivity during joint attention either initiated by infants (Initiating Joint Attention, IJA condition) or by their partner (Responding to Joint Attention, RJA condition). To capture responses to natural social cues in infants aged 7-12 months using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we employed an interactive-live paradigm for IJA and RJA. During the measurement, an adult sat facing an infant, and objects, such as small stuffed animals, paired with sound toys were presented to the right or left side of the screen. In the RJA condition, the adult gazed at the infants' eyes and then to the objects to encourage the infants to follow the adult's gaze. On the other hand, in the IJA condition, the adult followed the infant's gaze as it shifted to the presented object. Our results indicate that the concentration of oxy-Hb in the bilateral ventral prefrontal region had significantly decreased, then followed by an increase in the right dorsal prefrontal region in the RJA. In addition, a selective activation in the bilateral dorsal prefrontal region was seen in the IJA condition. Moreover, the infants exhibited increased functional connectivity especially within the right ventral prefrontal region during RJA condition when compared with IJA conditions. These findings suggest that RJA and IJA recruit specific brain networks localized in the prefrontal cortex of infants.
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