Passive OPM-MEG paradigm reveals altered brain network organization in children with DLD

Optically pumped magnetometer magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG) enables the study of pediatric neurodevelopment during naturalistic tasks. Here, we investigated functional connectivity (FC) changes in 30 typically developing (TD) children and 10 children with developmental language disorder (DLD), aged 4-7 years, during a rest task ("Inscapes" video) and a story task (short narrative videos). Both groups exhibited similar power modulation (δ enhancement, α, β, and low-γ suppression) and decreased network modularity when transitioning from rest to story processing. However, children with DLD displayed increased high-γ network modularity, indicating a more segregated neural architecture. During the story task, TD children displayed enhanced low-γ FC within a left-hemisphere network with hubs in temporal, parietal, central, and occipital regions, whereas children with DLD showed weaker connectivity. These findings suggest that altered γ-band network organization may be a core neural signature of DLD and highlight the potential of OPM-MEG in pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders.