title: Topography of sleep slow wave activity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep slow wave activity (SWA, EEG power between 1 and 4.5 Hz) is a major characteristic of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which seems to be critically involved in cortical plasticity. Studies using high-density electroencephalography (hd-EEG) showed that the topographical distribution of SWA mirrors cortical maturation, expressing a local maximum that is characteristic for a certain age range. We compared the sleep EEG of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with healthy controls to explore differences in sleep SWA.
  
  
  METHODS
  All-night hd-EEG recordings (128 electrodes) were performed in a group of nine children diagnosed with ADHD and nine age- and sex-matched healthy controls. SWA topography was calculated and contrasted between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a local increase of SWA in a cluster of six electrodes over central regions in children with ADHD compared to control children (+17% ± 6% SE, p < .01). This group difference was specific for the SWA range and stable across the night.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with ADHD showed a less mature topographical SWA distribution in comparison to healthy children of the same age and sex. This neuromaturational delay in ADHD is in accordance with neuroimaging and behavioral studies. Thus, our study supports the use of sleep SWA topography as a reliable imaging tool for the study of cortical plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ringli
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Souissi
authors.forename: Salomé
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brandeis
authors.forename: Oskar G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Jenni
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*