Infants at high and low likelihood for autism show different EEG developmental trajectories in speech tracking and statistical learning
Delayed onset of canonical babbling and first words is often reported in infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Identifying the neural mechanisms underlying language acquisition in autism is therefore critical to inform early diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention strategies. In this study, we investigated two speech processing mechanisms previously identified as atypical in…
A study tracked the developmental trajectories of EEG patterns in infants with varying likelihoods for autism, focusing on speech tracking and statistical learning abilities. Delayed speech onset is common in those later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, making neural mechanisms crucial for early diagnosis, prognosis, and interventions.
Researchers recorded high-density electroencephalograms from 44 infants aged 2.5 to 22.6 months, categorized as high (HL) and low (LL) likelihood for autism. Verbal outcomes were assessed at 20 months.
Neural entrainment was examined at syllable and word frequencies during exposure to concatenated tri-syllabic words, followed by word recognition using evoked response potential recordings. The findings showed reduced syllabic tracking abilities in HL infants, with a correlation to verbal outcomes. Although HL infants showed no deficits in statistical learning, they displayed reduced novelty orientation during word recognition, indicated by a lower late ERP.
In contrast, LL infants experienced a temporary disruption in word segmentation around 12 months due to multi-talker variability, suggesting decreased sensitivity to human voice variability in this group.
These results underscore the significance of longitudinal protocols using online, implicit measures to monitor the hierarchical stages of speech processing in both HL and LL infants.
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