While the positive influence of music and speech on babies’ learning capabilities is widely acknowledged, emerging evidence underscores the intricate role of specific auditory cues in infants’ environments in shaping language processing networks within their developing brains.
Renowned researcher April Benasich, an authority on early brain plasticity and infant language and cognitive development, has shed light on a groundbreaking discovery. Through a series of passive exposures to brief non-speech sounds administered weekly for six weeks, infants exhibited heightened accuracy in identifying and distinguishing syllables. Moreover, these exposed infants demonstrated superior language scores at 12 and 18 months, a marked contrast from their counterparts who lacked this auditory exposure.
The findings, presented in the journal Cerebral Cortex, mark a significant advancement as they reveal the transformative power of passive exposure to non-speech sounds. These auditory stimuli, characterized by minuscule acoustic shifts lasting mere milliseconds, akin to the cues that alert babies to the presence of language, play a pivotal role in fortifying neural connections crucial for effective language processing.
Previous studies conducted within Benasich’s research laboratory had illuminated the transformative impact of interactive auditory cues on essential brain networks, leading to improved attention and language outcomes in infants over time.
Yet, the question remained: Could passive exposure to similar auditory stimuli also yield comparable effects on language networks? The study unveiled remarkable outcomes, affirming the substantial influence on both language processing abilities and future language development.
The implications suggest that fostering rapid auditory processing capabilities during early development, even through passive exposure, can exert a positive influence on subsequent language proficiency.
“The ability to influence developing language networks passively represents a significant stride forward. This passive approach offers a more accessible and cost-effective means to promote optimal neural networks, empowering parents to support typical development from home and enabling viable interventions in clinical or pediatric settings for infants facing developmental language challenges,” underscores Benasich, a distinguished neuroscience professor at Rutgers-Newark’s Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience and the inaugural recipient of the nation’s endowed chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
Benasich’s prior research demonstrated that assessments of rapid auditory processing can serve as indicators for identifying infants at heightened risk of language delays and impairments, paving the way for early interventions to mitigate potential outcomes.
“The intricate sound variations that infants’ brains must decipher are essential for language development,” Benasich affirms. “Their brains are innately wired to analyze pertinent environmental sounds. If these sounds exhibit uniform frequency and intensity, the brain’s sensitivity to crucial variations might diminish, potentially hindering the formation of robust language networks.”
By Impact Lab
