Quantitative Electroencephalography in Outpatient Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: A Case-Control Study in the Child Welfare Teaching Hospital, Baghdad

Abstract

Background: The diversity of autism spectrum disorder presentation necessitates the use of simple tests. Quantitative electroencephalography is a low-cost, simple instrument that is being investigated as a clinical tool for monitoring abnormal brain development. Objective: To study brain waves by computer-analyzed EEG (quantitative EEG) in autistic children and correlate the changes to the clinical severity of autistic children. Methods: The study involved 65 children; 30 were recruited from the autism center and the pediatric neurology consultant in the child welfare teaching hospital, Medical City, and met the DSM-5 criteria for autism. Another 35 age-matched, normally-developed ASD children met the DSM-5 criteria, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, for autism severity. Absolute and relative spectral power measurements were used to investigate brain activity. Results: The absolute and relative delta power increased in the patients as compared to the controls (p<0.05) in all brain regions. There is an association between the disease severity score and absolute and relative delta and theta power in brain areas. The absolute power of the delta wave peaked in the occipital and temporal regions. The relative delta power peaked in the temporal region. Conclusions: The spectrum delta power can aid in the evaluation and classification of ASD. QEEG testing revealed abnormalities in all ASD children and can be a helpful assessment instrument for ASD children.