Speech Perception in Congenitally Deaf Infants: An fNIRS Study

This study investigates the perception of native and unfamiliar languages in deaf and normal-hearing infants using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). It is hypothesized that there are significant differences in cortical activation patterns among healthy and deaf infants when exposed to forward Italian and English speech stimuli. Participants included preterm-born infants classified into two groups based on hearing capacities: 'normal hearing' and 'deaf’ due to the existent hearing ability of fetuses starting from around the 27th week of gestation. Results revealed distinct cortical activation patterns between deaf and normal-hearing infants, with the deaf group exhibiting differentiated neural mechanisms in response to auditory deprivation. Findings highlight the dynamic nature of early brain development and emphasize the importance of tailored interventions for optimizing language acquisition, particularly in vulnerable populations. By elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying language perception in infancy, this study contributes to the understanding of language development and informs evidence-based interventions for promoting cognitive development and linguistic outcomes in early childhood.