Auto power and coherence analysis of delta-theta band EEG during the waking-sleeping transition period

To evaluate the spatio-temporal variation of delta and theta band EEGs during the waking-sleeping transition period, auto power and coherence analyses of scalp EEGs were carried out on 12 male subjects. The 7 auto power and 21 coherence values obtained from the 7 areas were studied every 20 s from 5 min before stage 1 onset to 24 min after stage 1 onset. The consecutive samples of spectra were computed for two frequency bands (delta: 2.5-3.5 Hz; theta: 4.0-7.5 Hz). Auto power started to increase after stage 1 onset and terminated 8.4 min after stage 2 onset. Topograms of each band power changed with progression towards deep sleep from the flat or relatively low voltage pattern without any focus to the frontopolar-parietal pattern or the fronto-parietal dominant pattern. Principal component analysis of the coherence values revealed generalized and localized components in each band. The generalized component was distributed across scalp areas, while the localized component was distributed in frontopolar-frontal areas. The generalized component decreased to the plateau level of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep 5.4 min after stage 2 onset. The localized component started to increase after stage 1 onset and reached the plateau level of NREM sleep 2.4 min after stage 2 onset. These results indicate that the delta-theta band EEG structures of the waking-sleeping transition period may not be uniform across the scalp areas and the hypnagogic period may start after stage 1 onset and continue for 8.4 min after stage 2 onset.