Sleep EEG evidence of sex differences in adolescent brain maturation.

Study Objectives: The steep decline in slow-wave (delta) electroencephalogram (EEG) intensity across adolescence is a prominent feature of late brain maturation. As a first step in determining whether the adolescent delta decline is similar in both sexes, we compared cross-sectional sleep EEG data from 9- and 12-year-old boys and girls.

Design: All-night EEG recordings, 6 months apart, were conducted on each subject.

The metabotropic glutamate (mGLU)2/3 receptor antagonist LY341495 [2S-2-amino-2-(1S,2S-2-carboxycyclopropyl-1-yl)-3-(xanth-9-yl)propanoic acid] stimulates waking and fast electroencephalogram power and blocks the effects of the mGLU2/3 receptor agonist ly379268 [(-)-2-oxa-4-aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-4,6-dicarboxylate] in rats.

The highly selective metabotropic glutamate (mGlu)2/3 receptor agonist LY379268 [(-)-2-oxa-4-aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-4,6-dicarboxylate] completely suppresses rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and strongly depresses theta (6-10 Hz) and high-frequency (10-60 Hz) power in the waking and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) EEG, effects consistent with depressed brain excitation (arousal).