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Diet and gender influences on processing and discrimination of speech sounds in 3‐ and 6‐month‐old infants: a developmental ERP study

Diet and gender influences on processing and discrimination of speech sounds in 3‐ and... Early post‐natal nutrition influences later development, but there are no studies comparing brain function in healthy infants as a function of dietary intake even though the major infant diets differ significantly in nutrient composition. We studied brain responses (event‐related potentials; ERPs) to speech sounds for infants who were fed either breast milk (BF), milk‐based formula (MF), or soy formula (SF) during the first 6 months of life. Two syllables presented in an oddball paradigm elicited a late positive wave (P350) from temporal and frontal brain regions involved in language processes. All groups showed significantly greater response amplitudes to the infrequent syllable across sites at 3 months and frontally at 6 months, but significant discrimination at temporal sites was only observed at 6 months in BF infants. Decreases in response amplitudes from 3 to 6 months were greater for the frequently presented syllable, most prominent in BF infants, and greater in females than males. The results indicate greater syllable discrimination in BF than formula‐fed infants, but whether this can be attributed to dietary influences alone remains unclear. Feeding method and background factor differences between breastfed and formula‐fed infants may also contribute to the observed differences. The general absence of differences between formula‐fed groups is notable and suggests that milk‐based formula and soy formula equally support brain development and function during the first post‐natal 6 months. Finally, the results indicate gender differences in the development of neural and temporal processes involved in sensory discrimination, and suggest that at 6 months these processes are better developed in females. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Developmental Science Wiley

Diet and gender influences on processing and discrimination of speech sounds in 3‐ and 6‐month‐old infants: a developmental ERP study

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References (52)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
ISSN
1363-755X
eISSN
1467-7687
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.01019.x
pmid
21676091
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Early post‐natal nutrition influences later development, but there are no studies comparing brain function in healthy infants as a function of dietary intake even though the major infant diets differ significantly in nutrient composition. We studied brain responses (event‐related potentials; ERPs) to speech sounds for infants who were fed either breast milk (BF), milk‐based formula (MF), or soy formula (SF) during the first 6 months of life. Two syllables presented in an oddball paradigm elicited a late positive wave (P350) from temporal and frontal brain regions involved in language processes. All groups showed significantly greater response amplitudes to the infrequent syllable across sites at 3 months and frontally at 6 months, but significant discrimination at temporal sites was only observed at 6 months in BF infants. Decreases in response amplitudes from 3 to 6 months were greater for the frequently presented syllable, most prominent in BF infants, and greater in females than males. The results indicate greater syllable discrimination in BF than formula‐fed infants, but whether this can be attributed to dietary influences alone remains unclear. Feeding method and background factor differences between breastfed and formula‐fed infants may also contribute to the observed differences. The general absence of differences between formula‐fed groups is notable and suggests that milk‐based formula and soy formula equally support brain development and function during the first post‐natal 6 months. Finally, the results indicate gender differences in the development of neural and temporal processes involved in sensory discrimination, and suggest that at 6 months these processes are better developed in females.

Journal

Developmental ScienceWiley

Published: Jul 1, 2011

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