# SPONTANEOUS MOTOR ACTIVITY OF DEVELOPING HUMAN INFANTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 1994 · $101,408

## Abstract

The present research program has shown that spontaneous motor activity
in the fetus and young infant has a strong cyclic organization with
irregular periods ranging from 1-4 min.  The long-term goals of the
research program have been to understand the development of CM, its
underlying mechanism, and its functional significance for the fetus and
infant.  Five studies are proposed to investigate the mechanism of CM and
its functional consequences.  The specific aims of the studies are to
investigate: (M1) The Unperturbed Dynamics of CM.  The properties of
possible CM attractors will be estimated during undisturbed awake periods
at 1 and 3 months using new techniques in experimental nonlinear
dynamics.  Based on preliminary findings, the study is expected to reveal
low dimensional chaotic dynamics in the mechanism responsible for CM,
which would suggest a unified explanation of the sustained but irregular
fluctuations in motor activity; (M2) The Strength and Extent of CM
Attractors.  The response of awake CM to perturbation will be examined
at 1 an 3 months.  The strength and extent of CM attractors will be
estimated by analyzing the evolution of perturbed trajectories in
reconstructed CM state space.  The results are expected to yield more
detailed information about the dynamic stability of the CM mechanism, the
existence of qualitatively different modes of CM organization, and
variation in sensitivity across CM state space.  (F1) CM and the Spatial
Distribution of Visual Attention.  The coupling of CM and attention to
elements in a static visual environment will be analyzed during ad
libitum looking at 1 and 3 months.  Attentional disengagement from
stimuli is expected to be associated with specific phases of CM, based
on preliminary data.  The longer term distribution of attention to
stimuli is expected to be linked to CM strength and unpredictability,
based on functional theories of attention and chaos; (F2) CM and the
Modulation of Response to a Stimulus.  Shifting of overt visual attention
to a new stimulus will be examined at 1 and 3 months.  Attentional
disengagement and re-orienting are expected to depend on the phase of CM
at stimulus onset, which will be varied systematically based on the
findings of Study F1.  The data will yield detailed information about how
the interruptibility of attention in a changing environment is influenced
by CM; (F3) CM and the Habituation of Visual Attention.  Unperturbed CM
and the habituation of visual attention will be examined at 3 months.
During habituation, fixation duration is expected to fluctuate partly in
relation to the changing phase of CM.  Spontaneous recovery to an
unchanged stimulus, and failure to recover to a stimulus change, are
expected to be related to the phase of CM when the posthabituation trials
begin.  Spectral and dynamic properties of unperturbed CM may also
explain some of the variance in standard measures of
habituation/recovery.  More generally, there are several reasons to stud...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2198956
- **Project number:** 5R01HD023814-06
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** G56PUALJ3KT5
- **Principal Investigator:** STEVEN S ROBERTSON
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $101,408
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1988-06-01 → 1998-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2198956

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2198956, SPONTANEOUS MOTOR ACTIVITY OF DEVELOPING HUMAN INFANTS (5R01HD023814-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2198956. Licensed CC0.

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