Neuroimmune Clearance and EEG Biomarkers: A Unified Model of ASD and Dyslexia

Recent advances in neuroimmunology and cerebrovascular biology have highlighted the important roles of microglial synaptic pruning and the brain's meningeal lymphatic system in shaping neural circuits during development. Disruptions in one or both of these systems have been reported in neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental dyslexia. This review synthesizes existing evidence suggesting that impaired meningeal lymphatic clearance may be associated with sustained neuroinflammatory states, which in turn could alter microglial homeostasis and contribute to dysregulated synaptic pruning. We propose a testable theoretical framework linking these cellular and vascular processes to electrophysiological signatures measured by electroencephalography (EEG), while explicitly acknowledging that the majority of available evidence is correlational rather than causal. Reported alterations in EEG frequency bands-such as increased slow-wave power or disrupted oscillatory coordination-are discussed as potential circuit-level correlates of underlying neuroimmune dysregulation, rather than definitive mechanistic outcomes. Drawing on findings from both human and animal studies, we outline an integrative conceptual model describing how clearance dysfunction and microglial abnormalities may be associated with patterns of cortical underconnectivity or hyperconnectivity observed in ASD and dyslexia. Rather than establishing causality, this framework aims to generate hypotheses and guide future multimodal investigations combining neuroimmune markers, lymphatic imaging, and electrophysiological measures to evaluate the translational potential of EEG-informed biomarkers in developmental disorders.