Nonrapid eye movement sleep and risk for autism spectrum disorder in early development: A topographical electroencephalogram pilot study

OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that emerges in the beginning years of life (12–48 months). Yet, an early diagnosis of ASD is challenging as it relies on the consistent presence of behavioral symptomatology, and thus, many children are diagnosed later in development, which prevents early interventions that could benefit cognitive and social outcomes. As a result, there is growing interest in detecting early brain markers of ASD, such as in the electroencephalogram (EEG) to elucidate divergence in early development. Here, we examine the EEG of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in the transition from infancy to toddlerhood, a period of rapid development and pronounced changes in early brain function. NREM features exhibit clear developmental trajectories, are related to social and cognitive development, and may be altered in neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet, spectral features of NREM sleep are poorly understood in infants/toddlers with or at high risk for ASD. METHODS: The present pilot study is the first to examine NREM sleep in 13‐ to 30‐month‐olds with ASD in comparison with age‐matched healthy controls (TD). EEG was recorded during a daytime nap with high‐density array EEG. RESULTS: We found topographically distinct decreased fast theta oscillations (5–7.25 Hz), decreased fast sigma (15–16 Hz), and increased beta oscillations (20–25 Hz) in ASD compared to TD. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a possible functional role of NREM sleep during this important developmental period and provide support for NREM sleep to be a potential early marker for ASD.