Sensorimotor Rhythms as Neurophysiological Correlates of Speech Perception Processes in Childhood

Background. The contribution of the sensorimotor neural network to speech perception has only recently been identified and described in adults. In children, the association between neurophysiological correlates of sensorimotor activity and speech perception processes remains a relatively novel and controversial area of research. Objectives. The aim is to determine the role of the sensorimotor neural network in the development of speech perception during childhood. Methods. Search and analysis of experimental studies aimed at investigating sensorimotor rhythms and speech in children, published between 2010 and 2025 were performed. The search was performed in the scientific citation databases Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, eLIBRARY, and CyberLeninka, with additional use of Google Scholar's built-in search tools to expand the coverage of relevant literature. Results. We identified seven experimental studies investigating the relationship between EEG sensorimotor activity and speech in children. Most of the studies were conducted on samples of infants and children under 3 years of age. In the first study, the earliest of those reviewed, no connection was found between the indicators of sensorimotor rhythms and speech development. However, more recent publications provide evidence that the nature and magnitude of sensorimotor rhythm reactivity depend on the type of speech stimuli. Several researchers further specify these findings, demonstrating that stronger desynchronization of sensorimotor rhythms is associated with higher levels of speech skills development in children. Nevertheless, these conclusions require further investigation. Conclusions. The sensorimotor network likely plays a supportive role in the development of speech perception in children, with its contribution presumably diminishing with age. Further research is needed to clarify age-related differences in the involvement of the sensorimotor neural network in speech perception processes, particularly in preschool- and school-aged children.