Manual actions affect vocalizations of infants

Abstract

Upper limb gestures, as well as transitive actions (i.e. acted upon an object) when either executed or observed affect speech. Broca's area seems to be involved in integration between the two motor representations of arm and mouth (Bernardis and Gentilucci, Neuropsychologia, 44:178-190, 2006, Gentilucci et al., Eur J Neurosci, 19:190-202, 2004a, Neuropsychologia, 42:1554-1567, 2004b, J Cogn Neurosci, 18:1059-1074, 2006). The relevance of these data is in relation with the hypothesis that language evolved from manual gestures, and was gradually transformed in speech by means of a system of dual motor commands to hand and mouth (Gentilucci and Corballis, Neurosci Biobehav, Rev 30:949-960, 2006). The present study aimed to verify whether this system of integration between gestures (and transitive actions) and speech is involved also in the language development of infants. Vocalizations of infants aged between 11 and 13 months were recorded during both manipulation of objects of different size and request arm gestures towards the same objects presented by the experimenter. Frequency in voice spectra increased when the infants manipulated or gestured to large objects in comparison with the same activities directed to small objects. These data suggest that intrinsic properties of an object evoking commands of manual interaction are used to identify that object, and to communicate.