Prediction and learning in the infant brain: From auditory perception to social interaction

在这个世界上运作需要我们不断地预测未来预期会发生什么以及何时发生，以便及时准备最佳应对措施。例如，我们的祖先需要预测捕食者或猎物下一步的地点和时间，以便在正确的时间出现在正确的地点。语音的音素和音乐的音符以急流的形式出现，一旦响起，就消失了。将此类流实时破译并组织为有意义的单元（例如单词和短语）依赖于预测和错误监控。对成年人的研究表明，大脑不断预测接下来会发生什么声音，并将其预测与实际发生的情况进行比较。预测状态和实际状态之间的不匹配会产生误差信号，可以通过脑电图 (EEG) 进行测量。预测错误会吸引注意力并导致学习，从而最大限度地减少未来的预测错误。 ******拟议的研究重点是婴儿期预测过程的发展以及它们如何塑造发展。第 1 部分中的研究考察了预测编码（预期内容）和预测时序（预期时间）的发展。预测编码将通过脑电图对一系列音调中偶尔遗漏的音调的反应来测量，比较可预测的遗漏和不可预测的遗漏。预计预测编码将在出生后第一年得到改善。预测时间将通过节奏序列进行研究，因为它们的规律性可以预测下一次节拍的时间。将检查受节奏刺激节奏影响的大脑振荡反应的发展，以及增强的神经夹带（良好的时序预测）是否会导致对声音的感知增强。其他问题包括婴儿是否对同时发生的听觉和触觉刺激流形成多感官预测，以及预测学习是否可以通过与成人的积极互动而得到增强。 ******第 2 部分中的研究检验了母亲和婴儿之间人际互动的预测。 父母和婴儿之间的互动协调被认为与最佳的社交、情感和认知发展有关。在成年人中，非语言交流体现在潜意识的动作同步以及一个人的行为对另一个人未来行为的影响。在这里，我们使用动作捕捉和数学模型来测量父母和婴儿之间的运动协调性，以及它与压力、自主神经系统功能和早期语言发展的关系。******预测处理是感知、认知、学习和社会发展的基础。例如，了解其在典型人群中的发展可以有助于及早识别有学习障碍风险的婴儿，并对患有产后抑郁症且有与婴儿社交互动不良风险的母亲进行干预。 **

Functioning in the world requires that we continually predict the futurewhat is expected to happen as well as whenin order to prepare timely optimal responses. For example, our ancestors needed to predict where and when a predator or prey would go next to be in the right place at the right time. The phonemes of speech and the notes of music occur in rapid streams and, once sounded, are gone. Deciphering and organizing such streams in real time into meaningful units such as words and phrases relies on prediction and error monitoring. Studies in adults indicate that the brain continually predicts what sounds it expects next and compares its predictions with what actually happens. Mismatches between predicted and actual states generate error signals that can be measured with electroencephalography (EEG). Predictive errors engage attention and lead to learning that minimizes future prediction errors. ******The proposed research focuses on the development of predictive processes in infancy and how they shape development. The studies in Part 1 examine the development of predictive coding (what is expected) and predictive timing (when it is expected). Predictive coding will be measured with EEG responses to the occasional omission of tones in a sequence of tones, comparing omissions that are predictable to omissions that are not predictable. It is expected that predictive coding will improve over the first year after birth. Predictive timing will be studied with rhythmic sequences, as their regularity enables prediction of when the next beats are expected. The development of oscillatory brain responses entrained to the tempo of the rhythmic stimuli will be examined, and whether enhanced neural entrainment (good timing prediction) leads to enhanced perception the sounds. Additional questions include whether infants form multisensory predictions for concurrent streams of auditory and touch stimuli and whether predictive learning is enhanced by active engagement with an adult. ******The studies in Part 2 examine prediction in interpersonal interactions between mothers and infants. Interactive coordination between parents and infants is thought relate to optimal social, emotional and cognitive development. In adults, nonverbal communication is reflected in subconscious synchronization of movements and the influence of one person's actions on the future actions of the other. Here we use motion capture and mathematical models to measure movement coordination between parents and infants and how it relates to stress, autonomic nervous system function and early language development.******Predictive processing is fundamental to perception, cognition, learning and social development. Understanding its development in typical populations could lead, for example, to early identification of infants at risk for learning disabilities, and interventions with mothers suffering post partum depression who are at risk for poor social interaction with their infant.**