LONDON: Babies as young as three months old can distinguish sad from neutral sounding voices even when they are asleep, British scientists have found. The findings, the researchers said, have implications for future research into how brain function and development relates to later disorders such as autism.
"It is probably because human voice is such an important social cue that the brain shows an early specialization for its processing," said Anna Blasi, study researcher from Kings College London.
For the study the researchers scanned brains of babies between 3 months and 7 months while they were asleep. They played neutral humans sounds, such as coughing or yawning, and compared the babies' brain reactions with those produced when the babies heard sounds of water or toys. The part of the brain that in adults reacts to human vocalizations lit up when neutral human sounds were played, researchers said.
"It is probably because human voice is such an important social cue that the brain shows an early specialization for its processing," said Anna Blasi, study researcher from Kings College London.
For the study the researchers scanned brains of babies between 3 months and 7 months while they were asleep. They played neutral humans sounds, such as coughing or yawning, and compared the babies' brain reactions with those produced when the babies heard sounds of water or toys. The part of the brain that in adults reacts to human vocalizations lit up when neutral human sounds were played, researchers said.
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