Auditory magnetic responses of healthy newborns

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 14; no. 14; pp. 1871 - 1875
• Main Authors: Huotilainen, Minna, Kujala, Anu, Hotakainen, Merja, Shestakova, Anna, Kushnerenko, Elena, Parkkonen, Lauri, Fellman, Vineta, Näätänen, Risto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 06-10-2003; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Ear and associated structures. Auditory pathways and centers. Hearing. Vocal organ. Phonation. Sound production. Echolocation; Electromagnetic Fields; Evoked Potentials, Auditory - physiology; Functional Laterality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Magnetoencephalography; Temporal Lobe - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Human; Newborn; Acoustic stimulus; Magnetoencephalography; Auditory evoked potential; Central nervous system; Stimulus disparity; Electrophysiology; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0959-4965; 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200310060-00023

We recorded magnetic brain activity from healthy human newborns when they heard frequency changes in an otherwise repetitive sound stream. We were able to record the magnetic counterpart of the mismatch negativity (MMN) previously described only with electric recordings in infants. The results show that these recordings are possible, although still challenging due to the small head size and head movements. The modelling of the neural sources underlying the recorded responses suggests cortical sources in the temporal lobes.