Sleep EEG in Boys with Attention Deficit Disorder

J Millichap

doi:10.15844/pedneurbriefs-21-11-2

Author:

J Gordon Millichap

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, US

X close

Abstract

How to Cite: Millichap, J.G., 2007. Sleep EEG in Boys with Attention Deficit Disorder. Pediatric Neurology Briefs, 21(11), pp.82–83. DOI: http://doi.org/10.15844/pedneurbriefs-21-11-2

Researchers at the University of Montreal, Canada, studied spectral analysis of non-REM sleep (stages 2, 3 and 4) and REM sleep EEG in 6 boys (age 10.3 +/- 1.2) with ADHD compared to 6 healthy controls. None had comorbidities, and none had received methylphenidate for at least 48 hours. Compared to controls, ADHD boys had less slowwave activity (SWA;0.75-2.25 Hz) in frontal and parietal regions. The findings point to an impairment of the thalamo-frontocortical loop in ADHD. [1]

COMMENT. Previous studies of the waking EEG in ADHD children by the above authors had found abnormalities in frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital regions. Researchers from the Universities of Wollongong and Sydney, Australia, report that increased delta and theta in frontal regions in unmedicated girls with ADHD was normalized by treatment with methylphenidate. Stimulant medication in ADHD girls may improve processing deficits rather than increasing arousal levels. [2]

Epileptiform activity in the EEG is reported with varying frequency from 7% to 30% of children with ADHD [3, 4]. Methylphenidate treatment of ADHD complicated by centrotemporal rolandic spikes in the EEG has a risk of precipitating seizures in 16.7% compared to only 0.6% in patients with normal EEGs. [5, 6]. For a comprehenive review of ADHD and epilepsy comorbidity, see Schubert R 2005, in [7].

References

Gingras, MA Labrosse, M Chevrier, E et al. (2007). Spectral analysis of Non-REM and REM sleep EEG in boys with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder. Abstracts of presentations at the 4^th Annual Joint Meeting of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) and the International Society for Neuroimaging in Psychiatry (1SNIP) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 19-23, 2007. Clinical EEG and Neuroscicncc Oct 200738: 216–217.

Clarke, A Barry, R McCarthy, R et al. (2007). Effects of stimulant medications on the EEG of girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Abstracts of presentations at the 16th Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Psychophysiology December 9-11, 2006, Canberra, Australia. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience Oct 200738: 222.

Hughes, JR DeLeo, Melyn et al. (2000). The Electroencephalogram in Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder: Emphasis on Epileptiform Discharges. Epilepsy & Behavior 1: 271–277, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/ebeh.2000.0073

Hughes, JR et al. (2000). Ped Neur Briefs Oct 200014: 73–74, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/ebeh.2000.0073

Hemmer, SA et al. (2001). Pediatr Neurol 24: 99–102, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-8994(00)00240-X

Hemmer, SA et al. (2007). Ped Neur Briefs July 200721: 49–50.

Schubert, R (2005). Ped Neur Briefs 19: 1–2.

[CIT0001] Gingras, MA Labrosse, M Chevrier, E et al. (2007). Spectral analysis of Non-REM and REM sleep EEG in boys with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder. Abstracts of presentations at the 4^th Annual Joint Meeting of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) and the International Society for Neuroimaging in Psychiatry (1SNIP) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 19-23, 2007. Clinical EEG and Neuroscicncc Oct 200738: 216–217.

[CIT0002] Clarke, A Barry, R McCarthy, R et al. (2007). Effects of stimulant medications on the EEG of girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Abstracts of presentations at the 16th Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Psychophysiology December 9-11, 2006, Canberra, Australia. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience Oct 200738: 222.

[CIT0003] Hughes, JR DeLeo, Melyn et al. (2000). The Electroencephalogram in Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder: Emphasis on Epileptiform Discharges. Epilepsy & Behavior 1: 271–277, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/ebeh.2000.0073

[CIT0004] Hughes, JR et al. (2000). Ped Neur Briefs Oct 200014: 73–74, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/ebeh.2000.0073

[CIT0005] Hemmer, SA et al. (2001). Pediatr Neurol 24: 99–102, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-8994(00)00240-X

[CIT0006] Hemmer, SA et al. (2007). Ped Neur Briefs July 200721: 49–50.

[CIT0007] Schubert, R (2005). Ped Neur Briefs 19: 1–2.

Reading: Sleep EEG in Boys with Attention Deficit Disorder

Learning and Cognitive Disorders

Sleep EEG in Boys with Attention Deficit Disorder

Author:

J Gordon Millichap

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, US

X close

Abstract

References