Different maturational changes of fast and slow sleep spindles in the first four years of life
Objective/Background: Massive changes in brain morphology and function in the first years of life reveal a
postero-anterior trajectory of cortical maturation accompanied by regional modifications of NREM sleep.
One of the most sensible marker of this maturation process is represented by electroencephalographic
(EEG) activity within the frequency range of sleep spindles. However, direct evidence that these changes
actually reflect maturational modifications of fast and slow spindles still lacks.
Our study aimed at answering the following questions: