title: Influence of varied stimuli on development of motor patterns in the premature infant.
abstract: The premature infant is at risk for both mortality and morbidity. His writhing contributes to weight loss, and his extrauterine environment does not contain the multi-modality patterned afferent stimuli that impinge upon the developing brain in utero. Sound is the most effective modality to achieve concurrent decrement in motility along with enhancement of cortical activity. It was anticipated that subjects exposed to 5 minutes of patterned sound 6 times a day would, by 36 weeks gestation, evidence: (a) less gross motor activity, (b) the normal predominance of upper over lower limb activity, and (c) beginning laterality. The sample consisted of 80 males and 73 females whose gestational age at birth was 26--33 weeks. By random assignment 52 subjects were exposed to the routine ambient noise of the isolette and nursery, 50 to a tape recording of their mother's voice, and 51 to an orchestral arrangement of Brahm's Lullaby. Limb activity was measured just prior to discharge by accelerometers worn unilaterally for a 24-hour period on the ankle and wrist prior to transfer to the alternate side for an additional 24 hours. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated among the limb patterns of the 3 groups. Large intragroup variation in gross activity precluded demonstration of between-group differences. The majority of subjects evidenced predominance of upper limb activity and laterality.
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*