Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn

In older children and adults, cognition builds upon waking sensory experience which is consolidated during sleep. In the fetus and newborn, sensory input is instead largely experienced during sleep. The nature of these sensory inputs differs within sleep, between active and quiet sleep, as well as v...

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Main Author: Kimberley Whitehead
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929324001488
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author Kimberley Whitehead
author_facet Kimberley Whitehead
author_sort Kimberley Whitehead
collection DOAJ
description In older children and adults, cognition builds upon waking sensory experience which is consolidated during sleep. In the fetus and newborn, sensory input is instead largely experienced during sleep. The nature of these sensory inputs differs within sleep, between active and quiet sleep, as well as versus wakefulness. Here, sleep-wake organisation in the fetus and newborn is reviewed, and then its interaction with sensory inputs discussed with a focus on somatosensory and auditory modalities. Next, these ideas are applied to how neurological insults affect early development, using fetal growth restriction as a test case. Finally, the argument is made that taking account of sleep-wake state during perinatal functional neuroimaging can better index sensorimotor, language, and cognitive brain activities, potentially improving its diagnostic and prognostic value. To sum up, sensory and sleep-wake functions go hand in hand during early human development. Perturbation of these twinned functions by neurological insults may mediate later neurodevelopmental deficits. Perinatal neuroimaging has the potential to track these trajectories, feasibly identifying opportunities to therapeutically intervene.
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spelling doaj-art-df02dcc4580546ea8646b91691dcc6822025-01-22T05:41:17ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932025-01-0171101487Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newbornKimberley Whitehead0Research Division of Digital Health and Applied Technology Assessment (DHATA), Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King’s College London, James Clerk Maxwell Building, 57 Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8WA, UKIn older children and adults, cognition builds upon waking sensory experience which is consolidated during sleep. In the fetus and newborn, sensory input is instead largely experienced during sleep. The nature of these sensory inputs differs within sleep, between active and quiet sleep, as well as versus wakefulness. Here, sleep-wake organisation in the fetus and newborn is reviewed, and then its interaction with sensory inputs discussed with a focus on somatosensory and auditory modalities. Next, these ideas are applied to how neurological insults affect early development, using fetal growth restriction as a test case. Finally, the argument is made that taking account of sleep-wake state during perinatal functional neuroimaging can better index sensorimotor, language, and cognitive brain activities, potentially improving its diagnostic and prognostic value. To sum up, sensory and sleep-wake functions go hand in hand during early human development. Perturbation of these twinned functions by neurological insults may mediate later neurodevelopmental deficits. Perinatal neuroimaging has the potential to track these trajectories, feasibly identifying opportunities to therapeutically intervene.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929324001488NeonateInfantBehaviourMotorIntrauterine growth restriction
spellingShingle Kimberley Whitehead
Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Neonate
Infant
Behaviour
Motor
Intrauterine growth restriction
title Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
title_full Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
title_fullStr Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
title_full_unstemmed Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
title_short Co-developing sleep-wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
title_sort co developing sleep wake and sensory foundations for cognition in the human fetus and newborn
topic Neonate
Infant
Behaviour
Motor
Intrauterine growth restriction
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929324001488
work_keys_str_mv AT kimberleywhitehead codevelopingsleepwakeandsensoryfoundationsforcognitioninthehumanfetusandnewborn