Sensorimotor beta burst dynamics and interhemispheric connectivity in children with developmental coordination disorder

Activity in the beta frequency band appears to play a critical role in various sensorimotor processes, with transient ‘bursts’ of beta displaying distinct waveform motifs reflecting different neural processes. However, much remains unknown about how beta bursts develop, and hence the role they may play in sensorimotor difficulties associated with neurodevelopmental conditions. Here, we used EEG to investigate sensorimotor beta bursts in children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD), which is associated with impaired motor control and atypical brain connectivity. However, the neural dynamics underlying these differences remain unclear. We characterized beta bursts during action execution and observation of gross and fine motor actions. Although overall burst features were similar across groups in the spectral domain, children with DCD showed disrupted rate modulation of specific burst waveform motifs, characterized by atypical lateralization and altered interhemispheric connectivity. These disruptions were strongest for a subset of burst types identified by principal component analysis, and individual differences in motif-specific burst rates correlated with motor ability. Our findings suggest that selective recruitment of distinct beta burst motifs and related disruption of interhemispheric communication may represent an important mechanism underlying motor difficulties in DCD. This work highlights the importance of burst waveform diversity for understanding typical and atypical motor development.