title: Neonatal eyelid conditioning during sleep.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. atarullo@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Amanda R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tarullo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Isler
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Condon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Kimon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Violaris
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.|Department of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Balsam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.|New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York.|Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Fifer
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003215:Conditioning, Eyelid / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: associative learning; electrophysiology; eyeblink conditioning; infant; neonate; sleep; sleep state