Cognitive development in neonates: an event related potential study of 30 infants

Abstract

Objective To study the characteristics of cognitive development of newborns with auditory event related potentials (aERP). Methods Thirty full-term neonates who were admitted to Changzhou Children's Hospital and met the inclusion criteria, those with neonatal neural behavioral score over 37 and both ears passed the hearing screening, and exclusion criteria, those who suffered from perinatal brain injury, were selected randomly. They were divided into three groups according to the days of age (group 1: 1-10 days; group 2: 11-20 days; group 3: 21-28 days). aERP was recorded with auditory Oddball paradigm. The data were collected and analyzed by Brain Electrical Source Analysis software. Relationship between N2 latencies/areas among the three groups and their age was researched with Pearson correlation analysis. Results During the neonatal period, there was a significant negative correlation between N2 latency and neonatal age in days (r=-0.609, P<0.05), while significant positive correlation was shown between N2 area and the age (r=0.689, P<0.05). In Fz and Cz leads, the total average waveform diagram of the three groups showed spacious flat, less smoothed curve, and mostly jagged pattern. N2 area in group 1 showed a complex plurality of peaks, and regular, soaring waves, which changed into single wave thereafter, in group 2 and 3. The N2 latencies tended to shorten gradually. Conclusions Neonatal cognitive competence, including concentration and discrimination ability, would be improved with their growth. Key words: Evoked potentials, auditory; Cognition; Attention; Discrimination (psychology); Infant, newborn