[Characteristics of the EEG power and coherent structure of term and premature children during the first postnatal year].

Objective of the study involved characteristics of the spectre of the EEG power and coherent structure in children of different degree of maturity in the first month of their postnatal development. 32 children were divided into three groups: 1) 38-41 weeks (11 children); 2) 34-36 weeks (12 children); 3) 30-33 weeks (9 children). At the moment of the study the children's chronological age was as follows: in the 1st and 2nd groups--19 +/- 1, in the 3rd group--30 +/- 4 days. In the 1st group (mature children), a considerable power of delta- and theta-range frequencies was registered as compared with the 2nd and 3rd groups. In the 1st group children, a central gradient of power of the delta and theta frequencies was noted as well as a central-occipital one for alpha-frequencies. In the 2nd group (34-36 weeks), a lesser power of the delta-, theta- and alpha-frequencies was noted as well as a smoothed central gradient of these frequencies as compared with the 1st group. In the 3rd group, the power of delta-frequencies in frontal leads and power of alpha-frequencies in most EEG leads did not differ from those in the 1st group, and an obvious frontal gradient of delta-frequency power was noted as well as the frontal-central one for the theta- and alpha-frequencies. In all the groups, three foci of coherent interaction among the brain areas were registered: anterior, central and posterior. The coherence of biopotentials was registered on the frequencies of delta-, theta- and alpha-ranges. The maximum level of coherence was registered in the delta-range. In immature children, as compared with mature ones, a higher level of coherence was registered in the theta- and alpha-frequencies.