1. EEG Similarities Between Adolescents and Adults

As children reach adolescence, their EEG pattern begins to resemble that of adults.

  • Pediatric Dominant Rhythm (PDR): The PDR usually approaches 10 Hz in adolescents, becoming similar to adult brain activity. It continues to show a mixture of alpha and beta rhythms throughout the waking background.
  • Alpha and Beta Waves: Alpha waves (8-12 Hz) and beta waves (13-30 Hz) dominate the EEG, reflecting increased cortical activity and brain maturity.
  • Theta Waves: Although adolescents may still have some theta waves (4-7 Hz) in their waking background, these waves gradually fade as they transition into their teen years.

2. Changes in Hypnagogic and Hypnapompic Hypersynchrony

The prominent hypersynchrony seen in early childhood, where high-amplitude synchronized waves appear during transitions between wakefulness and sleep, starts to recede during adolescence.

  • Receding Hypersynchrony: As adolescents grow into young adults, this synchronized slow wave activity, particularly during the transition from wakefulness to sleep (hypnagogic) and vice versa (hypnapompic), diminishes.

3. Loss of Posterior Slow Waves of Youth

One of the significant changes as children transition into adolescence and adulthood is the loss of the posterior slow waves of youth.

  • Posterior Slow Waves of Youth: These spike-like, high-amplitude waves seen in children start to disappear by adolescence, as the brain continues to mature.

4. Sleep Architecture in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Sleep architecture remains prominent and high-amplitude during adolescence and early adulthood, although certain features evolve.

  • Vertex Waves: These high-amplitude slow waves, particularly in the frontal regions, continue to appear in runs during sleep. In some individuals, this feature can persist into their thirties, reflecting a continued maturation of sleep patterns.
  • Adolescence to Early Adulthood: Even though sleep architecture is becoming more adult-like, there is still a significant presence of vertex waves during sleep in younger individuals.

5. Summary

As children progress into adolescence, their EEG pattern becomes increasingly similar to adults, with the PDR reaching approximately 10 Hz and a dominant mixture of alpha and beta waves. The transition from theta to alpha/beta dominance continues through the teen years. The prominent hypersynchrony seen in early childhood fades, and posterior slow waves of youth disappear. Sleep architecture remains highly organized, with vertex waves continuing into adolescence and even early adulthood.