Brain pp 79-90 | Cite as

Assessment and Significance of Behavioural States

  • Heinz F. R. Prechtl
Chapter

Abstract

The human newborn infant is equipped with a large set of interrelated abilities and competences, not only physiologically but also in his behaviour. A central aspect of this biologic organization is the existence of the so-called behavioural states. They are a convenient categorization of many conditions which are relatively stable over time and which can be easily recognized if they occur again. The main contributions came from two sources: first, from observational studies (Wolff, 1959, 1966), and second, from polygraphic recordings which had their origin in an extension of EEG recording to other physiologic variables such as respiration, EKG, EMG of the chin muscle, and oculogram. The latter contribution was particularly promoted by the new interest in the study of the ontogeny of sleep states in the mid-1950’s. Many of these later investigations focused exclusively on sleep cycles, neglecting the awake states and sometimes leading to erroneous conclusions.

Keywords

Newborn Infant Behavioural State Sleep State State Profile Sleep Cycle 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands 1977

Authors and Affiliations

  • Heinz F. R. Prechtl

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