SPECTRAL ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROPERTIES OF EEG IN CHILDREN

Abstract

The present study aimed at clarifying the characteristics of variability of the resting arousal EEGs in normal and mentally retarded children. Their ages ranged from 3 to 15 years in 58 normal and from 7 to 18 in 63 retarded. The EEG was recorded monopolarly from six regions of the scalp. The data analysed by a multipurpose digital computer comprised auto-power spectra and a coefficient of variation of power at each frequency. The variability of power at peak within the theta frequency band in both groups of children showed a notably higher value as compared with other frequency bands in all regions. We discussed some of the problems of treating this variability of power as a general characteristic of theta waves or as a developmental one.