Use of complex visual stimuli allows controlled recruitment of cortical networks in infants

ObjectiveTo characterize cortical networks activated by patterned visual stimuli in infants, and to evaluate their potential for assessment of visual processing and their associations with neurocognitive development.MethodsThree visual stimuli, orientation reversal (OR), global form (GF), and global motion (GM), were presented to cohort of five-month-old infants (N = 26). Eye tracker was used to guide the stimulation and to choose epochs for analysis. Visual responses were recorded with electroencephalography and analysed in source space using weighted phase lag index as the connectivity measure. The networks were quantified using several metrics that were compared between stimuli and correlated to cognitive outcomes.ResultsResponses to OR/GF/GM stimuli were observed in nearly all (96/100/100%) recordings. All stimuli recruited cortical networks that were partly condition-specific in their characteristics. The more complex GF and GM conditions recruited wider global networks than OR. Additionally, strength of the GF network showed positive association with later cognitive performance.ConclusionsNetwork analysis suggests that visual stimulation recruits large-scale cortical networks that extend far beyond the conventional visual streams and that differ between stimulation conditions.SignificanceThe method allows controlled recruitment of wide cortical networks, which holds promise for the early assessment of visual processing and its related higher-order cognitive processes.