Nonlinear trajectories of language network development

Yu, W.; Ju, P.; Yang, X.; Jefferies, E.; Zuo, X.-N.

doi:10.64898/2026.03.25.714106

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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.25.714106

Nonlinear trajectories of language network development

Yu, W.·Ju, P.·Yang, X.·Jefferies, E.·Zuo, X.-N.

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Abstract

How the human brain organizes complex cognitive functions remains unresolved, particularly regarding the debate between localized and distributed architectures. Here, we show that the language network undergoes a non-linear developmental reorganization that reconciles these views. Using multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral measures, we identify a three-stage trajectory: early localization, a transiently distributed state during adolescence marked by a connectivity dip, and a return to refined localization in adulthood. This adolescent dip is behaviorally meaningful and contributes to integrative network architecture. Convergent shifts in functional connectivity and brain-behavior relationships identify adolescence as a critical window for large-scale network remodeling. Our findings provide a unifying framework for language network development and suggest that transient redistribution may represent a general principle of human brain maturation.

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Yu, W., Ju, P., Yang, X., Jefferies, E., Zuo, X.-N.. 2026-03-25. Nonlinear trajectories of language network development. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.25.714106

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