Abstract #3443

Nature Vs Nurture in Newborn Voice Perception. an FMRI Comparison of Auditory Processing Between Premature Infants at Term Age and Term Born Neonates

Stephane Simon^1,2, Franois Lazeyras³, Alain-Dominique Sigrist⁴, Marc Ecoffey⁵, Stefano Guatieri⁴, Dimitri Van De Ville⁶, Cristina Borradori Tolsa⁵, Marco Pelizzone⁴, Petra Hppi⁵

¹Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; ²Work supported in part by the Center for Biomedical Imaging CIBM, Lausanne & Geneva, Switzerland; ³Dpt of Radiology, University of Geneva and University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; ⁴Romand Center for Cochlear Implants, University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; ⁵Division of Child Growth & Development, University of Geneva and University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; ⁶BioMedical Imaging Group, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland

This study reports the first comparison of brain functional development in premature infants at term age and term born newborns, upon auditory stimulation. Functional MRI revealed striking differences in the emergence of several bilateral temporal regions related to the processing of voice perception in the newborn, with specific differences between premature and term born infants. Since the present findings were collected at the same post-conceptional age (normal birth age), they highlight the important contribution of experience in voice recognition and possibly in language acquisition, therefore reopening the debate about the respective contributions of innate and experience shaped brain development.