Nonlinear trajectories of language network development

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.