Neural and psychophysiological correlates of social communication development: Evidence from sensory processing, motor, cognitive, language and emotional behavioral milestones across infancy

Abstract

This article presents a literature review focusing on the neural and psychophysiological correlates associated with social communication development in infancy. Studies presenting evidence on infants’ brain activity and developments in infant sensory processing, motor, cognitive, language, and emotional abilities are described in regard to the neuropsychophysiological processes underlying the emergence of these specific behavioral milestones and their associations with social communication development. Studies that consider specific age-related characteristics across the infancy period are presented. Evidence suggests that specific neural and physiological signatures accompany age-related social communication development during the first 18 months of life.

Keywords:

• Infancy
• neuropsychophysiological markers
• social communication development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Psychology for Positive Development Research Center [PSI/04375], Universidade Lusíada – Norte, Porto, supported by the Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. through national funds [UID/PSI/04375/2019], and by the Psychology Research Center [PSI/01662], University of Minho, supported by FCT and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education [UID/PSI/01662/2019] through national funds (PIDDAC) and co-funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653].