The Development of Speaking and Singing in Infants May Play a Role in Genomics and Dementia in Humans

• Published in: Brain sciences Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 1190
• Main Authors: Yamoah, Ebenezer N, Pavlinkova, Gabriela, Fritzsch, Bernd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Auditory system; Bats; Birds; Brain research; Cell cycle; Computational linguistics; Cortex (auditory); Dementia; Dementia disorders; Development and progression; Environmental factors; Genes; Genomics; Hearing; Infants; Information processing; Language; Language acquisition; Language processing; Larynx; Natural language interfaces; Nervous system diseases; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurons; Older people; Proteins; Review; Singers; singing; Sound; Speaking; Speech perception; Stem cells; Transcription factors; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 2076-3425; 2076-3425
• DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081190

The development of the central auditory system, including the auditory cortex and other areas involved in processing sound, is shaped by genetic and environmental factors, enabling infants to learn how to speak. Before explaining hearing in humans, a short overview of auditory dysfunction is provided. Environmental factors such as exposure to sound and language can impact the development and function of the auditory system sound processing, including discerning in speech perception, singing, and language processing. Infants can hear before birth, and sound exposure sculpts their developing auditory system structure and functions. Exposing infants to singing and speaking can support their auditory and language development. In aging humans, the hippocampus and auditory nuclear centers are affected by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, resulting in memory and auditory processing difficulties. As the disease progresses, overt auditory nuclear center damage occurs, leading to problems in processing auditory information. In conclusion, combined memory and auditory processing difficulties significantly impact people’s ability to communicate and engage with their societal essence.