究竟從多大開始,，人類有能力從不同的語音語調(diào)中辨別不同情感？英國(guó)最新研究顯示,，3個(gè)月大的嬰兒就能對(duì)含有不同情感的聲音做出不同反應(yīng),。
英國(guó)倫敦大學(xué)國(guó)王學(xué)院等機(jī)構(gòu)的研究人員在美國(guó)新一期《當(dāng)代生物學(xué)》雜志上報(bào)告說，當(dāng)21名3個(gè)月至7個(gè)月大的嬰兒睡著時(shí),，研究人員對(duì)他們播放了含有不同情感的聲音,，同時(shí)用磁共振成像技術(shù)探測(cè)他們大腦的反應(yīng)。
試驗(yàn)中播放了笑聲,、哭聲,、咳嗽聲以及玩具等物體發(fā)出的非人類的聲音。結(jié)果顯示,，這些嬰兒大腦中的顳皮質(zhì)等部位會(huì)對(duì)這些聲音做出不同反應(yīng),，其反應(yīng)模式與成人大腦對(duì)這些聲音的反應(yīng)模式類似。
領(lǐng)導(dǎo)研究的德克蘭·墨菲教授說,，這一結(jié)果顯示,，嬰兒大腦很早就開始形成能分辨聲音和情感的能力，這超出了過去的認(rèn)識(shí),。由于話語交流在人際溝通中發(fā)揮著重要作用,，通過分析嬰兒大腦如何逐漸形成相關(guān)能力，有助于尋找治療那些不善交流的自閉癥患者的方法,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Current Biology DOI：10.1016/j.cub.2011.06.009
Early Specialization for Voice and Emotion Processing in the Infant Brain
Anna Blasi, Evelyne Mercure, Sarah Lloyd-Fox, Alex Thomson, Michael Brammer, Disa Sauter, Quinton Deeley, Gareth J. Barker, Ville Renvall, Sean Deoni, David Gasston, Steven C.R. Williams, Mark H. Johnson, Andrew Simmons, Declan G.M. Murphy
Human voices play a fundamental role in social communication, and areas of the adult “social brain” show specialization for processing voices and their emotional content (superior temporal sulcus, inferior prefrontal cortex, premotor cortical regions, amygdala, and insula) . However, it is unclear when this specialization develops. Functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) studies suggest that the infant temporal cortex does not differentiate speech from music or backward speech , but a prior study with functional near-infrared spectroscopy revealed preferential activation for human voices in 7-month-olds, in a more posterior location of the temporal cortex than in adults . However, the brain networks involved in processing nonspeech human vocalizations in early development are still unknown. To address this issue, in the present fMRI study, 3- to 7-month-olds were presented with adult nonspeech vocalizations (emotionally neutral, emotionally positive, and emotionally negative) and nonvocal environmental sounds. Infants displayed significant differential activation in the anterior portion of the temporal cortex, similarly to adults . Moreover, sad vocalizations modulated the activity of brain regions involved in processing affective stimuli such as the orbitofrontal cortex and insula . These results suggest remarkably early functional specialization for processing human voice and negative emotions.
