Skip to main content
Log in

Increased power of resting-state gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorder detected by routine electroencephalography

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Experimental studies suggest that increased resting-state power of gamma oscillations is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To extend the clinical applicability of this finding, we retrospectively investigated routine electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of 19 patients with ASD and 19 age- and gender-matched controls. Relative resting-state condition gamma spectral power was variable, but on average significantly increased in children with ASD. This effect remained when excluding electrodes associated with myogenic gamma activity. These findings further indicate that increased resting-state gamma activity characterizes a subset of ASD and may also be detected by routine EEG as a clinically accessible and well-tolerated investigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Rubenstein JL, Merzenich MM (2003) Model of autism: increased ratio of excitation/inhibition in key neural systems. Genes Brain Behav 2(5):255–267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wang J, Barstein J, Ethridge LE, Mosconi MW, Takarae Y, Sweeney JA (2013) Resting state EEG abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders. J Neurodev Disord 5(1):24. doi:10.1186/1866-1955-5-24

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Gatto CL, Broadie K (2010) Genetic controls balancing excitatory and inhibitory synaptogenesis in neurodevelopmental disorder models. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2:4. doi:10.3389/fnsyn.2010.00004

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Markram K, Markram H (2010) The intense world theory—a unifying theory of the neurobiology of autism. Front Hum Neurosci 4:224. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2010.00224

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Orekhova EV, Stroganova TA, Nygren G, Tsetlin MM, Posikera IN, Gillberg C, Elam M (2007) Excess of high frequency electroencephalogram oscillations in boys with autism. Biol Psychiatry 62(9):1022–1029. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.12.029

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Maxwell CR, Villalobos ME, Schultz RT, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Konrad K, Kohls G (2013) Atypical laterality of resting gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1842-7

    Google Scholar 

  7. Cornew L, Roberts TP, Blaskey L, Edgar JC (2012) Resting-state oscillatory activity in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 42(9):1884–1894. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1431-6

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gross J, Baillet S, Barnes GR, Henson RN, Hillebrand A, Jensen O, Jerbi K, Litvak V, Maess B, Oostenveld R, Parkkonen L, Taylor JR, van Wassenhove V, Wibral M, Schoffelen JM (2013) Good practice for conducting and reporting MEG research. Neuroimage 65:349–363. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.001

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Buzsaki G, Draguhn A (2004) Neuronal oscillations in cortical networks. Science 304(5679):1926–1929. doi:10.1126/science.1099745

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Uhlhaas PJ, Singer W (2006) Neural synchrony in brain disorders: relevance for cognitive dysfunctions and pathophysiology. Neuron 52(1):155–168. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2006.09.020

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Whitham EM, Pope KJ, Fitzgibbon SP, Lewis T, Clark CR, Loveless S, Broberg M, Wallace A, DeLosAngeles D, Lillie P, Hardy A, Fronsko R, Pulbrook A, Willoughby JO (2007) Scalp electrical recording during paralysis: quantitative evidence that EEG frequencies above 20 Hz are contaminated by EMG. Clin Neurophysiol 118(8):1877–1888. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2007.04.027

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Grice SJ, Spratling MW, Karmiloff-Smith A, Halit H, Csibra G, de Haan M, Johnson MH (2001) Disordered visual processing and oscillatory brain activity in autism and Williams syndrome. NeuroReport 12(12):2697–2700

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wilson TW, Rojas DC, Reite ML, Teale PD, Rogers SJ (2007) Children and adolescents with autism exhibit reduced MEG steady-state gamma responses. Biol Psychiatry 62(3):192–197. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.07.002

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Geiger A, Huber R, Kurth S, Ringli M, Jenni OG, Achermann P (2011) The sleep EEG as a marker of intellectual ability in school age children. Sleep 34(2):181–189

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Bewernitz M, Derendorf H (2012) Electroencephalogram-based pharmacodynamic measures: a review. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 50(3):162–184

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hilgo Bruining.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

van Diessen, E., Senders, J., Jansen, F.E. et al. Increased power of resting-state gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorder detected by routine electroencephalography. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 265, 537–540 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-014-0527-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-014-0527-3

Keywords

Navigation