[Cerebral mapping and attention-deficit hyperactivity syndrome]

The clinical features of the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are characterized by attention deficit, an impulsive style of behavior and cognition and excessive motor activity. The incidence is estimated to be between 3 and 5% of the school population, and it is considered that there are one or two children with attention deficit in all children s classes during the early years of schooling.

Electroencephalogram measurements using spectral analysis gives fresh information about the cerebral electrogenesis of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In this study we diagnosed 21 children as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and compared them with a control group of 13 healthy children of the same average age, at rest and whilst carrying out various tasks.

Greater values of delta relative amplitude were found in the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder group in their basal EEG at the F7, F8, FP1, FP2, F3, F4 and C3 sites. During visual testing differences were observed in the alpha band, also in the frontal region (F7, FP1, FP2 and F4) with the children of the control group showing the higher values. The level of significance used was 0.05. The cortical distribution of the dominant frequencies was different also. In addition, we present a method for cerebral mapping by means of spline functions developed by Duchon, which allow cerebral bioelectrical activity to be mapped in three dimensions.