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Visual objects approaching the body modulate subsequent somatosensory processing at 4 months of age
Giulia Orioli1,2, Irene Parisi3,4, José L van Velzen3
1Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. g.orioli@bham.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|November 21, 2023
Summary
The infant brain supports dynamic crossmodal interactions for peripersonal space representation early in life. Somatosensory evoked potentials show developing neural processing of visual-somatosensory integration in the first year.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Sensory processing
Background:
- Peripersonal space representation is crucial for navigating the environment.
- Understanding the early development of crossmodal interactions is key to cognitive development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the infant brain supports dynamic crossmodal interactions between vision and somatosensation in the first year of life.
- To determine the developmental trajectory of neural representations of peripersonal space.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in 4- and 8-month-old infants.
- Presentation of unattended visual motion (approaching/receding) followed by vibrotactile stimuli.
- Analysis of SEP modulation in response to visual-somatosensory pairings.
Main Results:
- 4-month-olds showed enhanced SEPs following unattended approaching visual motion, indicating early visual-somatosensory integration.
- 8-month-olds exhibited age-dependent changes in SEP enhancement following receding visual motion.
- These findings suggest the emergence and refinement of peripersonal space representations within the first year of life.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic visual-somatosensory cortical interactions for peripersonal space representation emerge early in infancy.
- Neural underpinnings of peripersonal space representations undergo significant changes throughout the first year of life.
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