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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Development of the N400 in infancy.

Linda Forssman¹, Agnes Vallberg¹

¹Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, von Kraemers allé 1, 75142 Uppsala, Sweden.

Brain and Language

|October 30, 2025

Summary

The N400 effect, a brain response to semantic processing, is present in 10-month-old infants. This brainwave component diminishes by 12 months, suggesting early language development influences neural responses.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Science

Background:

The N400 component in event-related potentials (ERPs) is a well-established electrophysiological marker of semantic processing in adults.
Understanding the developmental trajectory of the N400 component in infancy is crucial for insights into early language acquisition and cognitive development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the developmental changes in the N400 component in infants using a longitudinal design.
To examine the presence and characteristics of the N400 effect in infants at 10 and 12 months of age.

Main Methods:

A longitudinal electroencephalography (EEG) study was conducted with 18 infants.
A word-picture mismatch paradigm was employed.
Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded and analyzed in specific time windows (400-1000 ms post-stimulus).

Keywords:

Infants N400 Receptive vocabulary event-related potentials (ERPs)

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Investigating the Effects of Antipsychotics and Schizotypy on the N400 Using Event-Related Potentials and Semantic Categorization

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Main Results:

A significant N400-like effect was observed in infants at 10 months of age (400-600 ms time window).
This effect diminished significantly by 12 months of age.
No significant correlation was found between N400 amplitude and parental reports of receptive vocabulary.

Conclusions:

The N400 effect, indicative of semantic processing, is detectable in human infants as early as 10 months of age.
Developmental changes or increased familiarity with stimuli may underlie the reduction of the N400 effect by 12 months.
These findings suggest that the neural mechanisms supporting semantic integration are developing during infancy.