| Abstract: | Evidence was presented to show that some reflexes of the neonate are organized in rhythmical patterns of high frequency; that stereotypic mannerisms are organized in similar high frequency rhythms; and that under conditions of functional and structural regression, both rhythmical reflexes and stereotypic mannerisms may reappear in their archaic forms and frequencies. With respect to neonatal motor rhythms, it was proposed that development implies a phase interaction of two or more fixed frequencies giving rise to qualitatively different temporal patterns. This proposition was opposed to the suggestion that neonatal motor rhythms are suppressed by central nervous system maturation and replaced by learned sequences which in turn are reinforced by environmental contingencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
