Brain network characteristics and behavioral correlations in global developmental delay based on functional...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurology

Background:

• Global developmental delay (GDD) impacts early brain development, but its functional neurobiology remains unclear.
• Understanding GDD's neural underpinnings is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention.
• Current research lacks comprehensive analysis of brain network organization in young children with GDD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate functional brain network organization and local neural activity in children with GDD compared to healthy controls.
• To identify specific alterations in brain networks associated with GDD.
• To explore the relationship between neurofunctional markers and developmental outcomes in GDD.

Main Methods:

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used during naturalistic stimulation.
• 49 children with GDD and 45 healthy controls (HCs) aged 2-4 years participated.
• Analysis focused on global efficiency, local efficiency, clustering coefficient, and functional connectivity strength within prefrontal networks.

Main Results:

• Children with GDD exhibited reduced global and local efficiency, clustering coefficient, and functional connectivity in prefrontal networks (DLPFC, mPFC).
• Altered local activity patterns showed hypoactivity in prefrontal and hyperactivity in temporal regions in the GDD group.
• Network metrics positively correlated with motor, adaptive, and social developmental measures.

Conclusions:

• GDD is associated with disrupted functional brain network organization and abnormal neural activity.
• Neurofunctional markers identified in this study show potential for early GDD diagnosis.
• These findings support the development of personalized intervention strategies for children with GDD.