Evidence of Top-Down Sensory Prediction in Neonates within 2 Days of Birth
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| Title: | Evidence of Top-Down Sensory Prediction in Neonates within 2 Days of Birth |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Naiqi G. Xiao (ORCID |
| Source: | Developmental Science. 2026 29(2). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS) |
| Contract Number: | R004R00HD07616602 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Neonates, Perceptual Development, Infants, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Auditory Stimuli, Visual Stimuli, Prediction, Visual Perception, Cognitive Development |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70114 |
| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| Abstract: | Recent studies have demonstrated top-down modulation in perceptual cortices in infants as young as 6 months. However, it is unclear when and how this ability emerges given conflicting evidence available. This study investigates top-down perceptual modulation by focusing on a neural signature referred to as top-down sensory prediction, where the prediction of upcoming sensory information is exhibited in the modulation of activity in perceptual cortices. We extended a paradigm previously used to identify top-down sensory prediction in 6-month-old infants to neonates. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we monitored occipital lobe activity in sleeping neonates held by their caregivers. The study consisted of a Learning session, where neonates were exposed to a novel auditory-visual stimulus combination (A+V+), followed by sessions presenting occasional visual stimulus omissions (A+V-). Results showed that fNIRS channels over the occipital lobe, which were active during the Learning session, also responded to the unexpected visual omissions, indicating neonatal brains' capability for top-down sensory prediction. Experiment 2 confirmed that this response depended on learning the audiovisual association, ruling out non-specific mechanisms such as heightened arousal or an increase in the visual response when a non-specific auditory stimulus is presented. These findings offer the first evidence of top-down modulation of visual responses in neonates, suggesting this capacity exists at birth, significantly earlier than previously thought. This study suggests that top-down predictive processing is crucial for early perceptual and cognitive development. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1498496 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Recent studies have demonstrated top-down modulation in perceptual cortices in infants as young as 6 months. However, it is unclear when and how this ability emerges given conflicting evidence available. This study investigates top-down perceptual modulation by focusing on a neural signature referred to as top-down sensory prediction, where the prediction of upcoming sensory information is exhibited in the modulation of activity in perceptual cortices. We extended a paradigm previously used to identify top-down sensory prediction in 6-month-old infants to neonates. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we monitored occipital lobe activity in sleeping neonates held by their caregivers. The study consisted of a Learning session, where neonates were exposed to a novel auditory-visual stimulus combination (A+V+), followed by sessions presenting occasional visual stimulus omissions (A+V-). Results showed that fNIRS channels over the occipital lobe, which were active during the Learning session, also responded to the unexpected visual omissions, indicating neonatal brains' capability for top-down sensory prediction. Experiment 2 confirmed that this response depended on learning the audiovisual association, ruling out non-specific mechanisms such as heightened arousal or an increase in the visual response when a non-specific auditory stimulus is presented. These findings offer the first evidence of top-down modulation of visual responses in neonates, suggesting this capacity exists at birth, significantly earlier than previously thought. This study suggests that top-down predictive processing is crucial for early perceptual and cognitive development. |
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| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70114 |
