Brain mechanisms underlying emotional processing in infants
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Department Name: School of Psychology
Abstract
This proposal aims to use a novel brain imaging method, Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) to provide the most sensitive and earliest window to date onto the origins of the neuronal mechanisms of emotional processing in human infancy. Since Darwin's account of the evolutionary origins of emotion over 150 years ago1, researchers have searched for early markers of emotion processing in human infants. The outcomes have been inconsistent: Most studies indicate that infants can discriminate basic emotions from facial expressions after 5 months of age, but a few reports suggest sensitivity in younger infants or newborns. Limitations in the sensitivity of the available techniques (EEG and eye-tracking) mean that it is possible that emotional processing is available earlier than the current consensus of 5 months of age.
We will combine a novel high-fidelity neuroimaging technique (OPMs) with powerful statistical procedures (multivariate pattern analysis2) to provide the most sensitive window to date onto emotional processing in human infants. Because of its flexible application, OPM-based magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG) provides a step-change opportunity to measure the dynamics and sources of brain electrical activity in the infant brain3-5. OPM sensors are small and lightweight and can be fixed closely to the participant's scalp 6,7. As such OPM-MEG has the potential to provide an imaging modality which is well-tolerated by infant participants (in contrast to fMRI and traditional MEG), but with higher spatial and temporal resolution than the current staples of infant brain imaging, EEG and fNIRS.
We will deliver emotional and non-emotional voice and face stimuli to infant participants while recording their brain electrical activity using OPM-MEG. Using multivariate pattern analysis, we will classify brain responses according to whether infants are presented with emotional or non-emotional voices and faces, thereby revealing the brain regions and neuronal dynamics associated with emotional processing in infants. We will focus on characterising emotional brain function in infants across three age groups (newborns, 4-month-olds, and 8-month-olds) in auditory and visual stimuli. We use auditory as well as visual stimuli because the auditory system matures earlier in human infancy and so may demonstrate earlier emotion processing.
The Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH), a world-leading neuroimaging research centre at the University of Birmingham, recently equipped its OPM laboratory with adaptable smart helmets. This is the first such facility in the UK and permits the arrangement of OPM sensors to fit the different head sizes and shapes of different age groups of infants, allowing for greater sensitivity and better localisation of brain activity, an important basis for characterising the networks underlying early emotional processing. The CHBH OPM Lab is ideally situated next to the Birmingham BabyLab in the Centre for Developmental Science (CDS) which will support the project with expertise and participant recruitment.
This research project will provide pioneering insight into the development of the physiological mechanisms supporting human emotional processing. This "rules of life" investigation will shed light on the genetic and experiential contributions to emotion processing and, thereby, the nature and origins of human interactions. The award will allow us to establish our team at the University of Birmingham as an international pioneer in the application of OPM-MEG to human infants, promoting local and international collaborations. Developing emotional abilities is key to a healthy upbringing.
We will combine a novel high-fidelity neuroimaging technique (OPMs) with powerful statistical procedures (multivariate pattern analysis2) to provide the most sensitive window to date onto emotional processing in human infants. Because of its flexible application, OPM-based magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG) provides a step-change opportunity to measure the dynamics and sources of brain electrical activity in the infant brain3-5. OPM sensors are small and lightweight and can be fixed closely to the participant's scalp 6,7. As such OPM-MEG has the potential to provide an imaging modality which is well-tolerated by infant participants (in contrast to fMRI and traditional MEG), but with higher spatial and temporal resolution than the current staples of infant brain imaging, EEG and fNIRS.
We will deliver emotional and non-emotional voice and face stimuli to infant participants while recording their brain electrical activity using OPM-MEG. Using multivariate pattern analysis, we will classify brain responses according to whether infants are presented with emotional or non-emotional voices and faces, thereby revealing the brain regions and neuronal dynamics associated with emotional processing in infants. We will focus on characterising emotional brain function in infants across three age groups (newborns, 4-month-olds, and 8-month-olds) in auditory and visual stimuli. We use auditory as well as visual stimuli because the auditory system matures earlier in human infancy and so may demonstrate earlier emotion processing.
The Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH), a world-leading neuroimaging research centre at the University of Birmingham, recently equipped its OPM laboratory with adaptable smart helmets. This is the first such facility in the UK and permits the arrangement of OPM sensors to fit the different head sizes and shapes of different age groups of infants, allowing for greater sensitivity and better localisation of brain activity, an important basis for characterising the networks underlying early emotional processing. The CHBH OPM Lab is ideally situated next to the Birmingham BabyLab in the Centre for Developmental Science (CDS) which will support the project with expertise and participant recruitment.
This research project will provide pioneering insight into the development of the physiological mechanisms supporting human emotional processing. This "rules of life" investigation will shed light on the genetic and experiential contributions to emotion processing and, thereby, the nature and origins of human interactions. The award will allow us to establish our team at the University of Birmingham as an international pioneer in the application of OPM-MEG to human infants, promoting local and international collaborations. Developing emotional abilities is key to a healthy upbringing.
Organisations
| Description | The goal of this research project is to investigate whether newborns can process emotions using a novel brain imaging technology, OPM-MEG. We are in the process of setting up the OPM-MEG system for newborns. In the meantime, we have conducted OPM-MEG recordings on 22 healthy adults to examine brain activity related to emotional processing. Data analysis is currently underway. During the remaining project period, we aim to further characterize brain activity associated with emotional processing in adults and measure neural responses to emotional stimuli in newborns to address the core research question of this project. |
| Exploitation Route | We will thoroughly analyze our results and publish our findings in a leading journal in our field, ensuring they are accessible to both researchers and the wider public. Additionally, we plan to present these results at a conference this summer. Toward the end of the project, we will host a workshop for both researchers and the public to share our insights and foster discussion. |
| Sectors | Education Healthcare |
| Title | Python analysis pipeline for OPM-MEG emotion processing data |
| Description | A Python-based analysis pipeline developed for processing and analysing OPM-MEG data collected during emotional processing experiments. The scripts were initially developed using adult OPM-MEG data to establish and test the analysis workflow, which is intended to be applied to infant datasets in the funded project. The pipeline includes preprocessing, event-related analysis, and visualisation steps. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The pipeline establishes a reproducible workflow for analysing OPM-MEG data in emotional processing paradigms. Developing and testing the scripts using adult datasets enabled validation of the analysis procedures before applying them to infant OPM-MEG data in the project. Making the code publicly available supports transparency and reuse by other researchers working with OPM-MEG data. |
| URL | https://github.com/Kyung-minAn/OPM_Adult_Emotion |
| Description | Conference presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We presented our project paradigm and experimental setup in a poster presentation titled "Investigating Emotional Processing in Infants Using OPM-MEG" at the MEG-UK Conference. Approximately 40 researchers and postgraduate students visited our poster, engaging in discussions about the study, sharing insights, and participating in a Q&A session. This opportunity also helped us expand our professional network. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |