Infants' brain responses for speech sound changes in fast multifeature MMN paradigm

Abstract

Objective: We investigated whether newborn speech-sound discrimination can be studied in 40 min using fast multifeature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm and do the results differ from those obtained with the traditional oddball paradigm.

Methods: Newborns' MMN responses to five types of changes (consonant identity, F0, intensity, vowel duration and vowel identity) were recorded in the multifeature group (N=15) and vowel duration and vowel identity changes in the oddball group (N=13), after which the MMNs from both groups were compared with each others.

Results: Statistically significant MMNs in the 190-600 ms time range from the stimulus onset were found for most change types in both paradigms. Newborn MMN responses were predominantly positive but a small number of participants elicited negative MMNs instead. MMN amplitudes did not differ between the multifeature and oddball groups.

Conclusions: Newborn speech-sound discrimination can be assessed in a short recording time using the fast multifeature paradigm.

Significance: The paradigm presented here can be used to record extensive auditory discrimination profiles in newborns and assess development of speech-sound discrimination and its difficulties.

Keywords: Event-related potentials (ERP); Infant; Language; Mismatch negativity (MMN); Multifeature paradigm; Newborn.