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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #165154
Title: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BREAST: ERP COMPARISONS OF SPEECH STIMULI PROCESSING IN 3-MONTH-OLD BREAST AND MILK FED INFANTS

Author
item PIVIK, R - UALR
item JING, H - UAMS
item GILCHRIST, J - USDA, ARS
item DYKMAN, R - ACNC

Submitted to: Society of Psychophysiological Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2004
Publication Date: 10/14/2004
Citation: Pivik, R.T., Jing, H., Gilchrist, J.M., Dykman, R.A. 2004. Thinking outside the breast: ERP comparisons of speech stimuli processing in 3-month-old breast and milk fed infants. Society of Psychophysiological Research. 41(S1). Paper No. 27.

Interpretive Summary: Studies showing that infants can process and discriminate speech stimuli have not considered the influence of diet on these processes. In this study, the brain wave responses (event-related potentials: ERPs) to spoken syllables were measured in healthy 3-month old infants who had been either exclusively breast-fed since birth or formula-fed (milk-based) since they were 2 months old. The ERP responses to the syllables were similar across groups, indicating that these two diets do not have different effects on the processing and discrimination of speech stimuli early in development.

Technical Abstract: Studies showing that infants can differentially process and discriminate speech stimuli have not considered the influence of diet on these processes. This investigation used event-related potential (ERP; 128 sites) measures to compare the processing of speech stimuli in healthy 3-month old, full-term infants who were exclusively breast-fed (n = 30, 15 males) with those fed milk-based formula since 2 months of age (n = 31, 18 males). While the infants were awake ERPs were recorded to two syllables (/pa/ and /ba/; duration: 250 ms, 72 dB, ISI: 2550 ms, sampling rate: 250 Hz; randomized 80%:20% occurrence; 180 trials). Data are reported from frontal (F) and mid-temporal (MT) sites. Response latencies and amplitudes were examined using ANOVA procedures with post-hoc t-tests. Stimuli elicited two positive peaks at ~ 170 ms and 350 ms, which have been associated, respectively, with processing of acoustic and phonemic stimulus features. Within stimulus types latencies to these responses did not vary significantly across sites or groups. However, relative to frequent stimuli, P350 responses to infrequent stimuli were faster (~36 ms on average; p<.01) and larger (p<.03) across leads. Amplitudes of both peaks to each syllable varied as a function of brain area (F>MT, p < .01), but did not differ between groups. These results do not indicate the presence of significant differences between healthy breast-fed and milk-based formula-fed infants in processing speech stimuli early in development.