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A simple sleep EEG marker in childhood predicts brain myelin 3.5 years later

Monique K LeBourgeois1, Douglas C Dean2, Sean C L Deoni3

  • 1Sleep and Development Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.

Neuroimage
|June 7, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Childhood deep sleep patterns, specifically the Frontal/Occipital (F/O)-ratio, predict later brain white matter myelin content. This highlights sleep

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Sleep Science

Background:

  • Insufficient sleep in children is linked to cognitive and emotional deficits.
  • The physiological basis for these sleep-related effects on child development is not well understood.
  • White matter microstructure, particularly myelin, is crucial for brain function and development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the topographical distribution of deep sleep slow wave activity in childhood predicts brain white matter microstructure (myelin) years later.
  • To examine the longitudinal relationship between sleep electroencephalography (EEG) markers and myelin water fraction.

Main Methods:

  • Healthy children underwent high-density EEG during sleep at baseline (ages 2.4-8.0 years).
  • At follow-up (ages 5.5-12.2 years), myelin water fraction (myelin) and cortical morphology were quantified.
  • The Frontal/Occipital (F/O)-ratio from baseline EEG was analyzed for its predictive value on follow-up myelin content.

Main Results:

  • The baseline Frontal/Occipital (F/O)-ratio significantly predicted whole brain myelin at follow-up.
  • At follow-up, the F/O-ratio showed only a minimal negative association with brain myelin.
  • Cortical morphology was not found to be related to the F/O-ratio at either baseline or follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • EEG markers of deep sleep topography during childhood longitudinally predict brain myelin content.
  • Sleep plays a vital role in brain maturation, specifically in the development of white matter myelin.
  • Further research is needed to determine if chronic sleep loss impacts white matter myelin microstructure growth during critical developmental periods.

Keywords:
DevelopmentEarly markerHigh density EEGMyelinSlow wave activityTopography

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