Electroencephalography Signatures Associated with Developmental Dyslexia Identified Using Principal Component Analysis

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Developmental dyslexia is characterised by neuropsychological processing deficits and marked hemispheric functional asymmetries. To uncover latent neurophysiological features linked to reading impairment, we applied dimensionality reduction and clustering techniques to high-density electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. We further examined the functional relevance of these features to reading performance under standardised test conditions. Methods: EEG data were collected from 200 children (100 with dyslexia and 100 age- and IQ-matched typically developing controls). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to high-dimensional EEG spectral power datasets to extract latent neurophysiological components. Twelve principal components, collectively accounting for 84.2% of the variance, were retained. K-means clustering was performed on the PCA-derived components to classify participants. Group differences in spectral power were evaluated, and correlations between principal component scores and reading fluency, measured by the TILLS Reading Fluency Subtest, were computed. Results: K-means clustering trained on PCA-derived features achieved a classification accuracy of 89.5% (silhouette coefficient = 0.67). Dyslexic participants exhibited significantly higher right parietal–occipital alpha (P8) power compared to controls (mean = 3.77 ± 0.61 vs. 2.74 ± 0.56, p < 0.001). Within the dyslexic group, PC1 scores were strongly negatively correlated with reading fluency (r = −0.61, p < 0.001), underscoring the functional relevance of EEG-derived components to behavioural reading performance. Conclusions: PCA-derived EEG patterns can distinguish between dyslexic and typically developing children with high accuracy, revealing spectral power differences consistent with atypical hemispheric specialisation. These results suggest that EEG-derived neurophysiological features hold promise for early dyslexia screening. However, before EEG can be firmly established as a reliable molecular biomarker, further multimodal research integrating EEG with immunological, neurochemical, and genetic measures is warranted. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.