The Influence of Extra Motor Stimulation on Infant Speed Perception

In this study, researchers used high-density electroencephalography (HD EEG) to investigate how receiving extra motor stimulation, specifically through baby swimming courses, affects the development of speed perception during the first year of life. Infants who had received extra motor stimulation and a control group without such stimulation were tested at two different ages: 4-5 months, before they started moving on their own, and 9-12 months, after they had gained several weeks of crawling experience. The infants were presented with a virtual road with moving poles, simulating forward motion at different speeds. The analysis of brain activity, specifically visual evoked potentials (VEP) and temporal spectral evolution (TSE), showed that infants who received extra motor stimulation had faster brain responses to visual motion compared to the control group across both testing sessions. As the infants grew older and gained locomotor experience, their brain responses to visual motion improved, with shorter latencies observed. Furthermore, the extra-stimulated infants at 9-12 months showed more adult-like brain activity patterns, specifically in the beta band, which is associated with visual motion processing. The findings suggest that both neurobiological development and self-produced locomotor experience play a role in the development of speed perception. Additionally, the extra motor stimulation provided through baby swimming courses seemed to accelerate the development of visual motion perception in the infants. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between extra motor stimulation and visual motion perception, and to investigate potential long-term effects beyond infancy, further research is recommended, considering the developmental process from infancy to adulthood.

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