Development of sleep spindle bursts during the first year of life.
Sleep spindles, as defined in the international electroencephalography (EEG) glossary, are distinguished from spindle bursts seen in the EEGs of premature infants. Classical sleep spindles do not occur in prematures. They first appear clearly in the EEG during slow wave sleep from the 4th week postterm (44 weeks conceptional age) and are normally present in all infants' EEGs by 9 weeks postterm. During the first year of life they may be of high voltage relative to their appearance in older children and adults and are commonly characterized by variable degrees of interhemispheric asymmetry and asynchrony. Individual differences are great. Some features of clinical significance are discussed.
D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D002657:Child Development; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*