2-month-olds show early ability to distinguish objects

A Nature Neuroscience study reports that fMRI scans of 130 two-month-old infants revealed distinct brain responses to different object categories, and scans from 66 returning infants at nine months showed a stronger separation between living and inanimate objects.

Researchers report that two-month-old infants already show category-level distinctions in brain responses. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, used awake functional MRI to record how infants’ brains responded while they viewed images from about a dozen common categories. Scientists previously relied largely on looking-time measures and placed such categorisation at older ages. The authors and outside commentators noted the technical and comfort challenges of scanning very young infants and highlighted the study’s relatively large sample. Key findings: - 130 two-month-olds were scanned while awake and shown images such as animals, trees and other common first-year categories. - Distinct neural response patterns were recorded when infants viewed different categories, indicating early categorical processing. - 66 infants returned for scans at nine months, and those scans showed a stronger distinction between living and inanimate objects than at two months. - The work used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which the authors said offers finer detail than traditional looking-time studies. - Lead author Cliona O'Doherty and colleagues emphasised steps taken to keep infants comfortable during scanning, such as reclining them on a snug support. Summary: The study indicates that infants as young as two months show measurable category-level visual distinctions in the brain, which appear to strengthen by nine months. Researchers and outside experts noted the sample size and practical challenges of infant fMRI. The authors suggested that future research may explore links between these early brain patterns and later cognitive development, and further work was described as a next step.