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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.04.28.065482

Magnetoencephalographic Signatures of Hierarchical Rule Learning in Newborns

Moser, J.·Schleger, F.·Weiss, M.·Sippel, K.·Dehaene-Lambertz, G.·Preissl, H.
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Abstract

Estimating the extent to which newborn humans process input from their environment, especially regarding the depth of processing, is a challenging question. To approach this problem, we measured brain responses in 20 newborns with magnetoencephalography (MEG) in a "local-global" auditory oddball paradigm in which two-levels of hierarchical regularities are presented. Results suggest that infants in the first weeks of life are able to learn hierarchical rules, yet a certain level of vigilance seems to be necessary. Newborns detected violations of the first-order regularity and displayed a mismatch response between 200-400ms. Violations of the second-order regularity only evoked a late response in newborns in an active state, which was expressed by a high heart rate variability. These findings are in line with those obtained in human adults and older infants suggesting a continuity in the functional architecture from term- birth on, despite the important immaturity of the human brain at this age.

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Moser, J., Schleger, F., Weiss, M., Sippel, K., Dehaene-Lambertz, G., Preissl, H.. 2020-04-28. Magnetoencephalographic Signatures of Hierarchical Rule Learning in Newborns. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.28.065482

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