Neurophysiological studies of human cognitive development in premature infants: An approach to the study of maturational brain processes

In normal cerebral development, language function typically becomes lateralized in the left hemisphere in most individuals. It is theorized that disturbances in the development of this cerebral asymmetry may result in language dysfunction such as dyslexia and dysphasia. Recently, it has been reported that language disturbances occur in many children who were born prematurely and who have suffered insults such as asphyxia and hyperbilirubinemia. Premature infants have also been shown to have a high incidence of abnormalities associated with auditory reception. Thus, it is possible that perinatal insults could lead to disturbances in the development of normal central nervous system (CNS) functional organization which result in later learning disabilities. The extent to which such learning impairments are related to nervous system development and to the subsequent limitations placed by neonatal insults upon cognitive capacities, is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among neurophysiological indices of CNS function, language development, and general infant competence over the first two years of life in order to provide information concerning the ontogenesis of higher cognitive functioning in both preterm and full term infants. In this report we will present an overview of the relevant issues in the area and focus on some of the neurophysiological data obtained to date. The approach discussed might prove useful in the study of any group of infants at risk for cognitive and/or developmental disorders related to a variety of perinatal insults.