BABY TALK
Researchers explore early signs of autism in children .
BY SCOTT LAFEE
BABY TALK — that short , sing-song , sometimes silly , melodic approach to speech — is a universal practice among parents . And infants prefer it . A horse becomes horsie ; a dog becomes doggie ; and mom and dad become mama and dada . Repetition and exaggerated intonation are key components of “ motherese ,” or infant-directed speech . But when a little one doesn ’ t respond to baby talk , it can be an early sign of autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ).
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine used numerous techniques to pinpoint the regions of the brain responsible for a child ’ s response to baby talk .
“ This new study , which combined state-of-the-art brain imaging , eye-tracking and clinical testing , opens the door toward precision medicine in autism ,” says senior author Eric Courchesne , PhD ’ 75 , professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine .
Courchesne says the approach generates new insights into how the brain is developing in children with autism .
“ For the first time , we are seeing what the possible brain impact is for children with autism who fail to pay attention to social information ,” he says .
The investigators suspected that little ones with ASD experience impaired development of innate mechanisms that respond to baby talk . To test this , they conducted a series of tests involving 71 toddlers and 14 adults . They used functional magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) to measure sleeping toddlers ’ brain activity in response to baby talk and other speech . The researchers also assessed the youngsters ’ social and language development and used eye-tracking technology to measure their responses to women speaking baby talk , as well as non-speech computer sounds and images .
The study found different responses among typically developing children and those with ASD . Those children with the poorest neural responses to baby talk displayed the most severe social symptoms , poorest language outcomes and most impaired behavioral preference and attention toward baby talk . By comparison , infants and toddlers with typical development showed the strongest responses and affinity to baby talk .
The researchers confirmed their findings by correlating eye-gaze patterns to brain and behavioral responses , noting that the superior temporal cortex , a brain area that processes sounds and language , responded more weakly to baby talk and emotion speech in children with ASD . The opposite was true among typically developing children , who displayed a strong superior temporal neural response . A small number of toddlers with ASD showed strong brain activation and interest in baby talk , as determined by eye-tracking .
“ The fact that a few children with autism did show strong brain activation and good attention to motherese speech is encouraging ,” says study co-author Karen Pierce , MA ’ 93 , PhD ’ 96 , professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and co-director of the Autism Center of Excellence with Courchesne . “ First , because it suggests that these particular toddlers with autism are likely to have good outcomes , a newly discovered and important subgroup . And second , it suggests a novel avenue for treatment .”
To learn more about the Autism Center of Excellence , visit tritonmag . com / autism
14 TRITON | SPRING 2022