IstvánCzi��ler
5.4 Early learning in complex auditory environments
Recentl��,the��evelo��entofERPresearchhas�ro��resse��into�oreco��lex
research��esi��ns.Consequentl��,theresearchquestionshaveex�an��e��fro�ques-tionssuchas‘isthebrainableto��iscri�inateAfro�B’toquestionssuchas‘can
thebrain��etectaviolationofruleX’orrather‘canthebrainlearntheruleX’.This
��evelo��entises�eciall��fruitful�ithinfants,asthebehaviouralresearch�eth- o��savailableearl��inlifeareli�ite��.Inthefollo�in��,so�eofthe�ostrecent��e-velo��ents�ithinthe�oreco��lexstu��iesofau��itor��learnin��are�resente��.
Acrucialtas�inor��anisin��theau��itor��environ�entisse�aratin��thesoun��s
�ro��uce��b����ifferentsources.This�rocess,calle��auditory stream segregation
enablesustoselectivel��atten��toasoun���ro��uce��b��as�ecificsource�hile
i��norin��othersoun��s.Forinfants,it�oul��beusefulintas�ssuchaslan��ua��e
learnin��b��enablin��the�tofocuson,sa��,the�other’svoiceinanois��environ-�ent.Win�leran��others(2003)stu��ie��au��itor��strea�se��re��ationinne�born
infants.The���resente��theinfants�itht�ostrea�sofau��itor��tonessothat
ever��thir��tone�asfro�thefirststrea�an��therestfro�thesecon��strea�.
Thefirststrea�containe��stan��ar��tonesan��tones��eviatin��inintensit��inO����-ballfashion.Inthesecon��strea�,thetonesvarie��bothinintensit��an��in�itch.
Whenthetonesinthet�ostrea�s�erecloseto��etherinfrequenc��(Fi��ure1a),
the��evianttonese�be����e��inthefirststrea���i��notevo�eanMMNres�onse,
su����estin��thattheinfants�erenotabletose��re��atethet�ostrea�s.Ho�ever,
�henthet�ostrea�s�ere�resente��inse�aratefrequenc��ran��es(Fi��ure1b),
the��evianttonesevo�e��anMMNres�onse,su����estin��thattheinfants�ereable
tose��re��atethet�ostrea�san��for�a�e�or��traceforthestan��ar��tones
inthestrea��iththehi��her�itch.Theresults��e�onstratethatevenne�born
infantscanse�aratethesoun��sourcesintheirau��itor��environ�ent.Inreallife,
alsoti�breisli�el��tonotabl��facilitatetheau��itor��strea�se��re��ation.
VanessaCarralan��others(2005)ex�ose��ne�borninfantstosoun���airs
�ithasi��leabstractrule:in�ostofthe�airs,thesecon��soun��ha��ahi��her
�itchco��are��tothefirstsoun��.Ho�ever,inoneei��hthofthecases,thesecon��
soun��ha��alo�er�itch.TheERPs�easure��totheonsetofthesecon��soun����if-fere��si��nificantl��bet�eenthet�ocases.Asthesoun���ro�erties�ereother�ise
acousticall��balance��,this�asseenasevi��encethatthene�borninfants�ere
abletolearntheabstractrule,i.e.,thatt���icall��the�itchofthesecon��soun��is
hi��herthanthatofthefirstone.
Ruusuvirtaan��others(2003)use��anovela��roachtostu����au��itor��fea-turebin��in��inne�borninfants.The���la��e��totheinfantstonesthatvarie��in
frequenc��an��intensit��.Alto��etherfourtones�ereuse���ithall�ossibleco�-binationsofthet�ointensit��levels(50an��70��Bsoun���ressurelevel)an��t�o
frequenc��levels(750an��1000Hz).T�oofthetonesoccurre��frequentl��an��the
othert�orarel��(to��etheronetoneinten).Thetones�ereassi��ne��tostan��ar��s
an����eviantssothatthe�robabilit����istributionofthelevelsofbothfeatures�as
s����etricalacrossthecate��ories.This�a��,a��eviantcoul��notbe��iscri�inate��
fro�astan��ar��onthebasisofeitherfrequenc��orintensit��alone.The�ea-sure��ERPs��is�la��e��asi��nificant��ifferencebet�eenthestan��ar��an����eviant
res�onses.Thus,thene�bornbrain�asabletoco�binethet�ofeaturesofthe
tones�henfor�in���e�or��re�resentationsforthesesoun��s.
Figure 1. Intheonestrea�con��ition(a),intervenin��tonesvarie��infrequenc��an��
intensit��.Forthet�o-strea�con��ition(b),thefrequenciesofoneofthestrea�s(�hite
tones)�erelo�ere��fro�thoseuse��intheone-strea�con��ition,buttheintensit��val-ues�ereretaine��.(A��a�te���ith�er�issionfro�Win�leretal.2003.)
5.5 Conclusions
Ourvie�ofau��itor��learnin��intheinfantbrainisconstantl��challen��e��b��ne�
resultssho�in���oreco��lex,faster,an���ores�ecialise��learnin��than�hat
�asex�ecte��before.Partl��thesene�resultsste�fro�ne��etho��san����e-velo��entsof��ata�rocessin��an��anal��sistechniquesthat��irectl��benefitthe
infantlearnin��stu��ies.Still,�ostofthene�resultsareobtaine��b����evelo�in��
novel�ara��i���sforbrainresearch,allo�in��scientiststoa��roach�oreco��lex
an��naturalisticsituationsofinfantlearnin��.Es�eciall��theneonatalbrainisver��
�lastican��cana��a�tto�an���in��sofenviron�ents.Theli�itsofthisa��a�tation
arechallen��e��ininfants�hohave�ajorbrain��a�a��eor�inor��isa��vanta��es
�riorto,��urin��,ori��e��iatel��afterbirth.Inor��ertoun��erstan��thenatureof
these�roble�san��es�eciall��thechallen��esthe���osefors�eech��evelo��ent
an��otherattention-��e�an��in��tas�sinthefuture,the��evelo��entofneona-talau��itor���rocessin��,�e�or��,an��attentionallocationshoul��bestu��ie���ith
naturalsoun��s.Thisexcitin��fiel��is�ro��ressin��ra�i��l��an��itisex�ecte��that
thefirsta��licationsofearl��re�e��iationofau��itor���erce�tive�roble�s�illbe
teste��inthenearfuture.In��ee��,�ajorresultsareex�ecte����uetothe�lasticit��of
thebrain�riortoa��e12�onths.Thesene�a��roaches�illbees�eciall��hel�ful
toinfants�ithbrain��a�a��eoraver���re�aturebirth.
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