Related Experiment Videos
Lateral differences and head-turning responses to somesthetic stimulation in premature human infants
Insights
Premature infants show less head-turning bias than full-term infants. Their responses to somatosensory stimuli reveal developmental patterns, contrasting with earlier findings of postural asymmetry.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Head-turning responses are crucial for infant development and interaction.
- Previous research indicated significant postural asymmetry in prematurely born infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate head-turning responses to somatosensory stimulation in prematurely born infants.
- To compare these responses with those of full-term infants and identify developmental patterns.
Main Methods:
- Studied 25 prematurely born infants at weekly intervals.
- Assessed head-turning responses to somatosensory stimulation of the perioral region.
- Compared responses with data from full-term infants.
Main Results:
- No consistent age-related changes in head-turning were observed.
- Premature infants turned towards stimuli more than away, but less than full-term infants.
- Reduced lateral differences in responding were noted compared to full-term infants, contrasting with prior asymmetry findings.
Conclusions:
- Data suggest a developmental sequence for head-turning responses and asymmetrical head posture.
- This sequence involves a right-turning bias, contralateral responding, and eventual ipsilateral responding with lateral differentiation.
Abstract:
Head-turning responses to somesthetic stimulation of the perioral region were studied at weekly intervals in 25 prematurely born infants. No regular changes associated with age were evident. The premature infants were more likely to turn towards than away from a stimulus; however, they were less so than are full-term infants. The infants were as likely to turn towards the stimulus when it was on the left as when it was on the right; however, they were more likely to turn away from a stimulus on the left than on the right. Comparisons with full-term infants indicated reduced lateral differences in responding. Such a reduction is in sharp contrast with the previous finding of marked postural asymmetry in a comparable sample of prematurely born infants. These data indicate a possible sequence in the development of head-turning responses to somesthetic stimulation and the assumption and maintenance of an asymmetrical head posture which consists of (1) a right-turning postural bias, (2) contralateral responding to somesthetic stimulation, (3) lateral differentiation of contralateral responding, (4) ipsilateral responding, and (5) lateral differentiation of ipsilateral responding.