title: Age and gender affect different characteristics of slow waves in the sleep EEG.
abstract: Low-frequency EEG was analyzed quantitatively during 2 nights in 40 females and 34 males aged 26 to 101 years. Analyses were based on Rechtschaffen and Kales NREM sleep stages, on absolute low-frequency amplitude (i.e. power in the range of 0.2-2.0 Hz) and on low-frequency continuity. The latter parameter describes how much (0-100%) of the current slow-wave activity is continued in the near-future EEG. Such continuation can occur through closed loops in the underlying neuronal network and cells. These loops are slow, thus corresponding to slow-wave frequencies, and can consist of electrophysiological, chemical and/or other pathways. The continuity percentage then monitors the relative activity of these loops. It does not depend directly on absolute EEG amplitudes. All analyzed parameters, including amplitude-independent continuity, decreased substantially and significantly with increasing age. The amplitudes of low-frequency EEG in females were significantly and substantially (40%) larger than those in males. However, the amplitude-independent continuity percentage did not differ between the genders. These findings support the notion that gender-related anatomical differences have a general effect on EEG amplitude, including during slow-wave sleep. Aging, however, specifically affects the neurophysiological slow-wave-generating mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mourtazaev
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Zwinderman
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kamphuisen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness