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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #165155
Title: SEX DIFFERENCES IN PROCESSING SPEECH STIMULI IN 3-MONTH-OLD BREAST-FED INFANTS: AN ERP STUDY

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

Submitted to: Society for Neuroscience Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2004
Publication Date: 10/15/2004
Citation: Jing, H., Pivik, R.T., Gilchrist, J.M., Dykman, R.A., Badger, T.M. 2004. Sex differences in processing speech stimuli in 3-month-old breast-fed infants: an ERP study. Program No. 665.4. Abstract Viewer/Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience.

Interpretive Summary: We have been studying the effects of diet on normal development of the human brain. We are particularly interested in the effects of dietary factors that may have estrogenic-like actions on brain development. One important aspect of such developmental processes is the differences between males and females. Brain development and function in boys differs in several aspects from that of girls. Unfortunately, these gender differences are not well defined and in order to carefully study dietary effects on brain development and function, is essential to first understand if the brain functions being studied differ between boys and girls. In this study, we determined that certain brain responses to some of the first syllables acquired by a baby are gender specific (i.e. boys differ from girls) and some are not. These are important data in learning how language is acquired by babies and this study helps set the stage for more complete studies of brain function in breast-fed and formula-fed infants.

Technical Abstract: Studies showing that infants can differentially process and discriminate speech stimuli have not considered the influence of diet and sex on these processes. To address these variables, sex effects on the processing of speech stimuli were examined in healthy full-term, exclusively breast-fed 3-month old infants (n=29, 15 males). Event-related potentials (ERPs; 128 sites) were recorded to two syllables (p/pa/ and /ba/; duration: 250 ms; ISI: 2550ms; sampling rate: 250 Hz; randomized 80%:20% occurrence across 180 trials). Response latencies and amplitudes were examined using ANOVA procedures. Two positive peaks were elicited by each stimulus at 170 ms and 350 ms. P170 latencies to both stimuli varied across sites (p<0.01), with the shortest measured at parieto-occipital areas. These differences were not detected for P350 latencies. The mean P170 latency to deviant sounds was shorter in males than females (left mid-temporal, P<0.05). An interaction between sex and hemisphere was present for the P350 latencies (p<0.05), indicating a shorter latency in females than in males only in the left hemisphere. Amplitudes of both peaks to each syllable varied as a function of brain area (p<0.05; greatest at frontal and anterior temporal sites). Neither sex-related, nor hemispheric differences were present on amplitude measures. These analyses indicate sex-related differences in ERP response latency, but not amplitude, measures in the processing and discrimination of speech stimuli in healthy breast-fed 3-month old infants.