When Do Visual Category Representations Emerge in Infants’ Brains?

Abstract

AbstractVisual categorization structures infants’ interactions with their environment. However, it is unknown when visual category representations emerge during the first year of life. Here we measured cortical representations of faces, limbs, corridors, characters, and cars using an electroencephalography (EEG) frequency-tagging paradigm in infants aged 3-4 months (N = 17), 4-6 months (N = 14), 6-8 months (N= 15), and 12-15 months (N = 15). We discovered a staggered development of category representations. Representations of faces emerge first, between 4-6 months and strengthen thereafter. Whereby representations for limbs, corridors, and characters emerge later, between 6-15 months. Not only do these data suggest that category representations are learned, but also that representations of everyday categories take different durations to develop. Thus, these findings necessitate a rethinking of the development of category representations in infancy and, have important implications for assessing atypical cortical development.