La. Finelli et al., Dual electroencephalogram markers of human sleep homeostasis: Correlation between theta activity in waking and slow-wave activity in sleep, NEUROSCIENC, 101(3), 2000, pp. 523-529
To investigate the relationship between markers of sleep homeostasis during
waking and sleep, the electroencephalogram of eight young males was record
ed intermittently during a 40-h waking episode, as well as during baseline
and recovery sleep. In the course of extended waking, spectral power of the
electroencephalogram in the 5-8 Hz band (theta activity) increased. In non
rapid eye movement sleep, power in the 0.75-4.5 Hz band (slow-wave activity
) was enhanced in the recovery night relative to baseline. Comparison of in
dividual records revealed a positive correlation between the rise rate of t
heta activity during waking and the increase in slow-wave activity in the f
irst non-rapid eye movement sleep episode. A topographic analysis based on
27 derivations showed that both effects were largest in frontal areas.
From these results, we suggest that theta activity in waking and slow-wave
activity in sleep are markers of a common homeostatic sleep process. (C) 20
00 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.