Infant Brains Categorize Objects at Two Months

Neuroscientists from Trinity College Dublin, Queen s University Belfast, and Stanford University have discovered that babies as young as two months old can categorize distinct objects in their brains, much earlier than previously thought. The research, published in Nature Neuroscience, combined functional MRI (fMRI) brain imaging with artificial intelligence models to study 130 two-month-old infants. The study, led by Dr. Cliona O Doherty and Professor Rhodri Cusack, revealed that infants' minds are already forming foundations of visual cognition. This breakthrough has significant implications for early-years education, clinical support for neurodevelopmental conditions, and the development of more biologically-grounded artificial intelligence models. The Coombe and Rotunda Hospitals in Dublin assisted with infant recruitment, and funding was provided by the International===European Research Council and Republic of Ireland===Science Foundation Ireland.