Electrophysiological responses of audiovisual integration from infancy
to adulthood
Abstract
Our ability to merge information from different senses into a unified
percept is a crucial perceptual process for efficient interaction with
our multisensory environment. Yet, the developmental process underlying
how the brain implements multisensory integration remains poorly known.
This cross-sectional study aims to characterize the developmental
patterns of audiovisual events in 131 individuals aged 3 months to 30
years. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during a passive task,
including audiovisual, auditory, and visual stimulations. Different
developmental patterns are seen for the audiovisual, auditory, and
visual responses, with the visual and audiovisual responses reaching
maturity between 11 and 14 years old and the auditory response reaching
maturity a few years later, between 15 and 17 years old. Topographic
distributions reveal distinct audiovisual developmental patterns across
age groups. Specifically, from 3 months to 7 years old, audiovisual
interaction emerges in the left temporo-parietal regions and reaches the
medial frontal area between 8 and 10 years old, followed by a mature
fronto-central pattern from 11 years old. Our results show that response
to the bimodal events is a long developmental process that emerges
during childhood and continues to develop during adolescence.