Auditory event-related brain potentials such as the mismatch negativity (MMN) and the frequency-following response (FFR) allow exploring speech sound encoding along the auditory pathway. Here, we coll Show more
Auditory event-related brain potentials such as the mismatch negativity (MMN) and the frequency-following response (FFR) allow exploring speech sound encoding along the auditory pathway. Here, we collected event-related brain potential (ERP) and FFR neural responses to syllables in healthy full-term newborns (N = 17, mean age = 3 days) and adults (N = 21, mean age = 22.7). Participants were passively exposed to alternating blocks of syllables presented at either fast or slow stimulation rates while we recorded electroencephalography (EEG). Specifically, blocks containing the synthetic /oa/ syllable alternated with "oddball" blocks containing three natural syllables differing in place of articulation (one standard /da/ and two deviants /ba/ and /ga/). At the FFR level, we found that 3-day-old newborns (i) exhibit an already functional encoding of vowel pitch, (ii) show an immature encoding of vowel formant structure, replicating previous observations. At the ERP level, the two deviants elicited clear MMN in the two groups, although with different topographies, suggesting an immature sensitivity to place of articulation in newborns. These results confirm the role of experience-dependent developmental factors that may differentially shape FFR and ERPs of speech sound features. Furthermore, this study highlights the feasibility of assessing the hierarchy of neural speech sound encoding in a short experimental session. Show less
Children with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) are at high risk for early neurodevelopmental delays across all domains. Neuromotor delay often emerges first and may impact broader development. Show more
Children with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) are at high risk for early neurodevelopmental delays across all domains. Neuromotor delay often emerges first and may impact broader development. Identifying early biomarkers of motor function could capture a critical window for intervention. We assessed the prognostic value of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B in predicting 4-month motor outcomes in newborns undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Between December 2021 and October 2024, we conducted a prospective, single-centre study including term neonates with (CCHD) who required cardiac surgery within the first two months of life. NSE and S100B levels were measured at five perioperative time points. Blinded Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) assessment at four months evaluated motor outcomes. Of 35 newborns, 27 completed follow-up. Preoperative NSE levels were significantly higher in infants with AIMS scores below the 10th percentile (32.7 vs. 20.9 ng/mL, p = 0.044) and negatively correlated with AIMS percentiles (ρ = -0.617, p = 0.006. There was no significant association between motor outcomes, MRI findings or S100B levels. Higher preoperative NSE levels predict poor early motor outcomes in CCHD and may be a marker for early risk stratification and intervention. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) may serve as an early biomarker of neuromotor development in newborns with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD). Elevated preoperative NSE levels were associated with poorer motor outcomes at four months. NSE may serve as an additional biomarker within a multimodal risk stratification strategy, complementing clinical, imaging, and electrophysiological assessments to refine prognostic evaluation. These findings highlight the prognostic value of perioperative biomarkers for predicting early motor outcomes and support earlier identification of at-risk newborns, enabling targeted neurodevelopmental interventions. This work adds new evidence to limited literature on biological predictors of motor development after neonatal cardiac surgery. Show less