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Neonatal eyelid conditioning during sleep
Author(s) -
Tarullo Amanda R.,
Isler Joseph R.,
Condon Carmen,
Violaris Kimon,
Balsam Peter D,
Fifer William P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.21424
Subject(s) - eyelid , conditioning , audiology , sleep (system call) , psychology , classical conditioning , anesthesia , developmental psychology , medicine , surgery , statistics , mathematics , computer science , operating system
Using an eyelid conditioning paradigm modeled after that developed by Little, Lipsitt, and Rovee‐Collier (1984), Fifer et al. (2010) demonstrated that newborn infants learn during sleep. This study examined the role of sleep state in neonatal learning. We recorded electroencephalogram (EEG), respiratory, and cardiovascular activity from sleeping full term newborn infants during delay eyelid conditioning. In the experimental group ( n = 21), a tone was paired with an air puff to the eye. Consistent with Fifer et al. (2010), newborn infants reliably learned during sleep. The experimental group more than doubled EMR rates to a tone alone, while a control group ( n = 17) presented with unpaired tones and puffs maintained low EMR rates. Infant learners were more likely to produce a conditioned EMR during quiet sleep compared to active sleep. Understanding the influence of sleep state on conditioned responses will inform the potential use of eyelid conditioning for early screening.