Ultra-Slow Delta Power in ME/CFS

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Ultra-Slow delta power in

chronic fatigue syndrome.

Olivier Le Bon a, b, Neu a, Yves

Berquin c, Jean-Pol Lanquart b,

Hoffmann d, Olivier Mairesse a, Roseanne

Armitage d

a Brugmann University Hospital, Sleep Laboratory

and Unit for Chronobiology U78, Université Libre de

Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Brussels, Belgium

b Hôpital Erasme, Sleep Research Unit, Université

Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Brussels, Belgium

c APRECO Technologies, Brussels

d Sleep and Chronophysiology Laboratory,

University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry,

Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Received 19 November 2011. Revised 3 May 2012.

Accepted 20 June 2012. Available online 6 July

2012.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2012.06.027

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Abstract

The role of sleep in patients diagnosed with chronic

fatigue syndrome is not fully understood.

Studies of polysomnographic and quantitative sleep

electroencephalographic (EEG) measures have

provided contradictory results, with few consistent

findings in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

(CFS).

For the most part, it appears that delta EEG activity

may provide the best discrimination between

patients and healthy controls.

A closer examination of delta activity in the very

slow end of the frequency band is still to be

considered in assessing sleep in CFS.

The present preliminary study compared absolute

and relative spectral power in conventional EEG

bands and ultra-slow delta (0.5-0.8Hz) between 10

young female patients with the CFS and healthy

controls without psychopathology.

In absolute measures, the ultra-slow delta power

was lower in CFS, about one-fifth that of the control

group.

Other frequency bands did not differ between

groups.

Relative ultra-slow delta power was lower in patients

than in controls.

CFS is associated with lower ultra-slow (0.5-0.8Hz)

delta power, underscoring the importance of

looking beyond conventional EEG frequency

bands.

From a neurophysiological standpoint, lower

ultra-slow wave power may indicate abnormalities

in the oscillations in membrane potential or a

failure in neural recruitment in those with CFS.

Correspondence to: Tivoli University Hospital,

Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Department

of Psychiatry, 37 Avenue Max Buset, 7100-La

LouviPre, Belgium. Tel.: +32 64 27 61 11; fax: +32

64 27 63 26.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

reserved.