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Neural encoding of speech-in-noise in neonates: A frequency-following response study
Alejandro Mondéjar-Segovia1,2, Natàlia Gorina-Careta1,2,3, Sonia Arenillas-Alcón1,2,3
1Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|September 25, 2025
Summary
Background noise impairs speech processing in newborns and adults. Neonates show similar disruption across speech sounds, unlike adults, highlighting early auditory development challenges.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Speech Processing
Background:
- Background noise significantly impacts speech perception and neural encoding.
- This challenge is pronounced in vulnerable populations, including infants and older adults.
- Early speech-in-noise processing is critical for language acquisition in neonates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of background noise on neural speech sound encoding in neonates.
- To compare the neural processing of speech in noise between neonates and adults.
- To understand the developmental trajectory of auditory processing in challenging acoustic environments.
Main Methods:
- Recorded the frequency-following response (FFR) to a /da/ syllable.
- Measured neural responses in quiet and background noise conditions.
- Compared FFRs in 25 healthy-term neonates and 21 normal-hearing adults.
Main Results:
- Adults exhibited significantly higher neural responses than neonates.
- Both groups showed reduced spectral amplitudes in noise.
- Adults had greater disruption in fundamental frequency during consonant transitions, while neonates showed consistent disruption across speech segments.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal auditory systems show distinct patterns of disruption in noise compared to adults, potentially due to immaturity.
- Immature auditory processing in neonates may be influenced by limited in-utero exposure to complex sound features.
- This study provides foundational insights into the developmental aspects of speech-in-noise processing from birth.
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