Cortical EEG topography of REM onset: the posterior dominance of middle and high frequencies.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the brain topography of human sleep electroencephalography (EEG) along the antero-posterior axis during rapid eye movement sleep (REM) onset and REM offset, by means of a quantitative analysis of EEG changes.


METHODS
EEG power values were calculated across a 1.00-25.75 Hz frequency range during time intervals preceding and following REM onset of the first 4 sleep cycles of 10 normal subjects. Topographical changes were assessed through Fpz-A1, Fz-A1, Cz-A1, Pz-A1, Oz-A1 recordings during NREM-REM-NREM transitions.


RESULTS
The temporal dynamics of REM onset is characterized by a specific topographical pattern of EEG changes with a relatively higher EEG activity at posterior sites: Oz does not show any clear change within the alpha and beta frequencies, at variance with the marked reductions of the other sites, while it shows reductions of power in the delta/theta and sigma frequency ranges of smaller size as compared to the other sites. REM offset does not appear as a mirror-image of REM onset, since the pattern of regional differences characterizing the NREM sleep preceding REM onset is not fully reached.


CONCLUSIONS
REM onset is characterized by a general change of EEG activity toward a relative occipital diffusion of power, specifically distinguished by a posterior dominance of middle and high frequencies.
De Gennaro
Luigi
L
Department of Psychology, Section of Neuroscience, University of Rome La Sapienza, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy. luigi.degennaro@uniroma1.it
Ferrara
Michele
M
Curcio
Giuseppe
G
Cristiani
Riccardo
R
Bertini
Mario
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*