Inside the infant mind: Researchers examine how babies begin to recognize faces

Inside a quiet MRI suite in downtown New Orleans, a baby lies swaddled beneath the soft hum of a scanner, watching videos of a familiar face.

Researchers nearby collect the imaging data that may help uncover the earliest signs of how humans begin recognizing, understanding and connecting with other people.

At Tulane University's Social Memory Lab, the researchers are using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to study how the infant brain responds to social information during the first year of life. The work is part of a growing but still relatively rare area of neuroscience research focused on "awake infant fMRI," a method that allows scientists to study babies while they are actively viewing faces, videos and social stimuli.

Most infant fMRI studies are conducted while babies are asleep, capturing spontaneous activity in the brain. Tulane's project is different. The researchers are studying infants while they are awake and engaged with the world.

The research is led by Benjamin Deen, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the School of Science and Engineering, whose lab studies the neural basis of social cognition and memory.

"We're interested in understanding how the neural systems that support social cognition in adults begin to emerge early in life," Deen said. "How does the brain start building the machinery that allows us to recognize people, interpret social information and understand others?"

The project focuses specifically on how infants respond to familiar faces, particularly parents or caregivers. Before each scan session, researchers record short videos of the caregiver, which are later shown to the infant while they are inside the scanner. The team then compares those brain responses to reactions generated by unfamiliar faces, objects or nonsocial videos.

"We're trying to move beyond just asking whether infants can visually recognize a face," Deen said. "We're interested in the higher-level systems involved in understanding other people and social meaning."

Earlier studies helped establish that infants begin developing specialized brain responses to faces surprisingly early in life. Now, the Tulane team is asking: What comes next?

"What we're trying to understand now is how those systems connect to more complex social cognition. How do babies begin building the foundations for understanding people?" said Isabel Nichoson, a neuroscience PhD student who helped build the infant scanning program from the ground up.

Nichoson has worked in developmental neuroimaging research since she was an undergraduate student and said the field drew her in because it offered a way to directly observe how the brain changes during development.

"You learn about these really fascinating developmental milestones and psychological processes, but neuroimaging allows you to actually see evidence of that development happening in the brain," she said. "It's a really powerful way of understanding how humans become who they are."

The research itself is complex. Conducting MRI scans with awake infants requires specialized equipment, careful planning and extraordinary patience, as babies move, cry and fall asleep.

To improve comfort and reduce movement, the team uses infant-specific equipment and highly engaging videos designed to keep babies calm and focused.

"The entire process is baby-led," said Adya Agarwal, the lab's manager and a key coordinator for family outreach and scheduling. "If the baby needs a break, we stop. If they fall asleep, we adapt. If they're unhappy, we end the session. The family's comfort and the baby's well-being are always the priority."

Families typically spend about two hours at the facility, though most infants are only inside the scanner for about 20 minutes total. Parents remain involved throughout the entire process, and the team provides free parking, compensation and childcare support for siblings when needed.

"A lot of our work is really about transparency and trust. We want families to understand exactly what we're doing, why we're doing it and that this experience is designed to be safe, supportive and positive," Nichoson said.

That emphasis on trust extends far beyond the lab itself.

Over the past year, the research team has expanded its outreach efforts across New Orleans, attending community events, visiting family spaces and connecting directly with parents at locations such as the farmers market, the zoo and the Louisiana Children's Museum.

For Agarwal, those conversations have become one of the most rewarding parts of the project.

"A lot of cognitive neuroscience research can feel dense or intimidating, so being able to talk directly with families about why this research matters and what we're actually trying to learn has been really meaningful," Agarwal said.

The researchers believe the work could eventually help answer some of the biggest questions in developmental neuroscience. For now, the team remains focused on building the foundation, one family and one scan at a time.

"There's something really special about this kind of research," Nichoson said. "You're studying the very earliest stages of human social development. These are the beginnings of how we learn to recognize people, connect with others and understand the world around us. Being able to study that process in real time is incredibly exciting."

Families interested in participating in the study can contact the Tulane Social Memory Lab for more information about eligibility, scheduling and what to expect during a visit.