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Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
Sleep neurophysiology in childhood onset schizophrenia
Andjela Markovic1,2, Ashura Buckley3, David I Driver4
1University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Altered sleep neurophysiology has consistently been reported in adult patients with schizophrenia. Converging evidence suggests that childhood onset schizophrenia (COS), a rare but severe form of schizophrenia, is continuous with adult onset schizophrenia. The aim of the current study was to characterize sleep neurophysiology in COS. An overnight sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in 17 children and adolescents with COS (16 years ± 6.6) and 17 age and gender-matched controls. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep EEG power and coherence for the frequency bands delta (1.6-4.8 Hz), theta (5-8.4 Hz), alpha (8.6-11 Hz), beta 1 (16.4-20.2 Hz) and beta 2 (20.4-24.2 Hz) were compared between COS patients and controls. COS patients exhibited significant and widespread deficits in beta power during NREM and REM sleep. With regard to coherence, we found increases in COS patients across brain regions, frequency bands and sleep states. This study demonstrates the utility of the sleep EEG for studying vulnerable populations and its potential to aid diagnosis.
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