Neurophysiological effects of maternal vocalizations on emotions and cognitive function in children with cerebral palsy: a case report

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the neurophysiological effects of variations in the tone of mother’s speech on children with cerebral palsy who have communication limitations due to motor difficulties. The subject was a 6-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, born as a low birth weight infant at 2000 g and 34 weeks gestation. Participant’s mother was asked to speak under two conditions: “asking condition” and “inform condition,” using four channels (Fp1, Fp2, P3, P4) for EEG measurements. Wavelet Coherence analysis was employed for data analysis. The results indicated that maternal vocalizations affected the child’s emotions and were associated with the facilitation of cognitive activity. Moreover, in the “inform condition,” the child exhibited a tendency to focus on specific vocalizations, whereas in the “asking condition,” there was a tendency to attend to the overall vocalizations. This study suggests that vocal interactions may play an important role in the effects of rehabilitation and the development of the child.