Infant Brain Development: Sensitivity to Visual Motion

This longitudinal study used high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) to investigate brain activity in infants at two different ages (4-5 months and 9-10 months) when presented with simulated forward and backward motion. The aim was to understand how the brain processes these motion stimuli and whether there are changes with age. The results showed that infants processed forward motion faster than backward motion, as indicated by longer processing times for the latter. Additionally, low-speed motion was easier to process than high-speed motion, but only for the older infants. The amplitudes of brain responses were lower for older infants, and speed affected amplitude specifically for backward motion, with high speed showing higher amplitudes. Direction, on the other hand, affected amplitude only for low-speed motion, with forward motion showing higher amplitudes. Observation of oscillatory brain activity revealed changes in theta and alpha frequencies, with desynchronizations observed for motion conditions compared to static conditions at both ages. However, contrary to expectations, there was no decrease in low-frequency activity in the second testing session. The study concluded that the infant brain becomes more specialized and sensitive to visual motion stimuli as it matures. The findings highlight the developmental changes in how the brain processes and responds to motion, indicating a growing ability to perceive and understand visual motion as infants grow older.

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