Study of Brain Bioelectrical Activity Maturation in Northern Schoolchildren with Integral Parameters of Multichannel EEG

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the age dynamics of the integral characteristics of spatial (A_sf), temporal (R_sf), and spectral (frequency) organization of brain bioelectric activity by analyzing the structure function (SF) of a multichannel EEG. The study consisted of two series, one conducted in autumn and other, four months later in spring. The study included 38 schoolchildren aged 7–17 years from the North. A linear relationship was observed between the magnitude of the time scale of the EEG temporal connectivity R_sf and the age (r = –0.65, p < 0.001) and assumed to reflect the increase in functional lability and plasticity of neurodynamic processes. A comparison of EEG parameters in 23 schoolchildren included in both series showed an individual stability of the integral characteristics of the spatial and temporal organization of the EEG. Several subjects had a changed frequency spectrum of the SF in spring compared to that in autumn; the finding reflected changes in the balance of subcortical and cortical regulatory systems during seasonal adaptation in the North.