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Nonrapid eye movement sleep and risk for autism spectrum disorder in early development: A topographical
Jessica Page1,2,3, Caroline Lustenberger1,4, Flavio Frӧhlich1,2,5,6,7,8
1Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Insights
Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial. This study found distinct nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep EEG patterns in toddlers with ASD, suggesting NREM sleep may be an early biomarker for autism.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric sleep medicine
- Brain imaging and electrophysiology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed in early childhood.
- Early diagnosis of ASD is challenging, often delaying crucial interventions.
- Identifying early brain markers, such as through electroencephalogram (EEG), is critical for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep EEG spectral features in infants and toddlers with or at high risk for ASD.
- To explore NREM sleep as a potential early diagnostic marker for ASD during a critical developmental period.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study comparing NREM sleep EEG in 13- to 30-month-olds with ASD and age-matched typically developing (TD) controls.
- High-density array EEG was recorded during daytime naps.
Main Results:
- Infants and toddlers with ASD exhibited distinct NREM sleep EEG patterns compared to TD controls.
- Specifically, decreased fast theta and sigma oscillations, alongside increased beta oscillations, were observed in the ASD group.
Conclusions:
- NREM sleep spectral features show developmental trajectories that may be altered in ASD.
- These findings support the potential of NREM sleep EEG as an early biomarker for autism spectrum disorder.
Objective:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that emerges in the beginning years of life (12-48 months). Yet, an early diagnosis of ASD is challenging as it relies on the consistent presence of behavioral symptomatology, and thus, many children are diagnosed later in development, which prevents early interventions that could benefit cognitive and social outcomes. As a result, there is growing interest in detecting early brain markers of ASD, such as in the electroencephalogram (EEG) to elucidate divergence in early development. Here, we examine the EEG of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in the transition from infancy to toddlerhood, a period of rapid development and pronounced changes in early brain function. NREM features exhibit clear developmental trajectories, are related to social and cognitive development, and may be altered in neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet, spectral features of NREM sleep are poorly understood in infants/toddlers with or at high risk for ASD.
Methods:
The present pilot study is the first to examine NREM sleep in 13- to 30-month-olds with ASD in comparison with age-matched healthy controls (TD). EEG was recorded during a daytime nap with high-density array EEG.
Results:
We found topographically distinct decreased fast theta oscillations (5-7.25 Hz), decreased fast sigma (15-16 Hz), and increased beta oscillations (20-25 Hz) in ASD compared to TD.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest a possible functional role of NREM sleep during this important developmental period and provide support for NREM sleep to be a potential early marker for ASD.
