Frequency coupling of low and high frequencies in the EEG of ADHD children and adolescents in closed and open eyes conditions.

The present report examines the possible differences in absolute Power Spectral Density (PSD), the topography of brain rhythms, and low frequency (delta and theta) vs. beta PSD when attention deficit disorder (ADHD) children and controls are compared. These results would potentially be useful to test the validity of the developmental lag and differential developmental models for ADHD. The EEG resting state under the experimental conditions of open and closed eyes were recorded in samples of control subjects and children with ADHD (6-17 years old). The PSD from 0 to 46 Hz was calculated and ANOVAs were performed to compare the groups of subjects in the two experimental conditions. To observe differences in the co-maturation of the brain rhythms between the groups of subjects, correlations of the PSD of all frequency ranges were computed. These results showed an increase in delta power in children with ADHD compared to control subjects. The topographies of the different brain rhythms were similar in children with ADHD and controls. The maturational power-to-power frequency-coupling between low frequencies and beta rhythms was lower in children with ADHD. The increased delta PSD in ADHD and the similar brain rhythms topographies in children with ADHD and controls support the developmental lag model, whereas the decreased co-maturation of low frequencies vs. beta PSD in children with ADHD suggests a differential maturation rate for low and beta frequencies in children with ADHD compared to controls.