Studying How Infants Around 7 to 8 Months Process Speech to Understand Early Language Development and Risks

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are exploring early brain mechanisms that help infants process spoken language, focusing on how the brain tracks speech sounds. This observational study aims to understand differences in these neural processes between infants with and without a family history of language and learning challenges. The goal is to see if early brain responses can predict later language development in both typical and atypical cases. The study involves two groups of infants around 7 to 8 months old those with a family history of language disorders and those without. Participants will undergo non-invasive EEG recordings while listening to speech and musical sounds to assess brain activity related to auditory processing. They will also have a behavioral assessment using standardized developmental scales at 8 months. Follow-up assessments will take place about 10 months later, around 18 months of age, to measure language understanding and speaking skills. Researchers will collect background information like family history and socio-demographic factors. The study uses safe, non-invasive methods and does not require active responses from the infants, tracking their development over time to better understand early language acquisition.

Cortical Tracking of Speech in the First Year of Life