title: Spectral analyses of sleep EEG in depressed offspring of fathers with or without a positive history of alcohol abuse or dependence: a pilot study.
abstract: The current study was designed to examine the effects of family history of alcohol use disorders on spectral electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep measures obtained in a sample of youth with depression. We evaluated sleep in 32 depressed youth (8-16 years of age) with and without a family history of alcohol use disorders. Eighteen of the participants (10 males and 8 females) reported a positive paternal history of alcohol use disorders and made up the family history positive (FHP) group. Power-spectral analyses revealed that increased power in the 7.50-11.00 Hz band (slow alpha) was associated with boys in the FHP group for the first and second non-rapid eye movement (REM) periods, second REM period, awake during the night, and entire night period. Results also showed increased power in the higher alpha frequencies (11.00-12.25 Hz) for non-REM, REM, and awake periods. A significant increase in spectral power was also observed in boys in the FHP group in the delta frequencies (0.75-4.50 Hz) during the second REM period. These findings are consistent with results from previous studies, demonstrating that EEG alpha power is positively associated with a family history of alcohol use disorders.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods*; D012890:Sleep / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*