# Brain Complexity and Parametrization of Power Spectral Density in Children with Specific Language Impairment

## TL;DR

This study used EEG to compare brain activity in children with specific language impairment and typically developing children, finding differences in brain complexity and power spectral density patterns.

## Contribution

The study introduces novel insights into brain activity differences in children with SLI using MSE and FOOOF analyses.

## Key findings

- Children with SLI showed increased aperiodic components in medial regions across 13–45 Hz.
- SLI children exhibited distinct periodic activity patterns in specific frequency bands compared to normo-developing children.
- Findings suggest altered excitatory-inhibitory balance and connectivity in SLI children.

## Abstract

This study examined spontaneous activity in children aged 3–11 years with specific language impairment (SLI) using an electroencephalogram (EEG). We compared SLI-diagnosed children with a normo-development group (ND). The signal complexity, multiscale entropy (MSE) and parameterized power spectral density (FOOOF) were analyzed, decomposing the PSD into its aperiodic (AP, proportional to 1/fx) and periodic (P) components. The results showed increases in complexity across scales in both groups. Although the topographic distributions were similar, children with SLI exhibited an increased AP component over a broad frequency range (13–45 Hz) in the medial regions. The P component showed differences in brain activity according to the frequency and region. At 9–12 Hz, ND presented greater central–anterior activity, whereas, in SLI, this was seen for posterior–central. At 33–36 Hz, anterior activity was greater in SLI than in ND. At 37–45 Hz, SLI showed greater activity than ND, with a specific increase in the left, medial and right regions at 41–45 Hz. These findings suggest alterations in the excitatory–inhibitory balance and impaired intra- and interhemispheric connectivity, indicating difficulties in neuronal modulation possibly associated with the cognitive and linguistic characteristics of SLI.