EN
INTRODUCTION: Numerous studies indicate that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is related to some developmental trends, as its symptoms change widely over time. There is a disagreement whether ADHD is related to deviations in brain development or to a delay in brain maturation. The model of deviated brain development suggests that the ADHD brain matures in a fundamentally different way, and does not reach normal maturity at any developmental stage. In contrast, the delayed brain maturation model assumes that the ADHD brain indeed matures in a different, delayed way in comparison to healthy age-matched controls, yet eventually reaches proper maturation. AIM(S): We investigated developmental changes in resting‑state EEG activity to find evidence supporting one of the alternative models. METHOD(S): A total number of 141 participants took part in the study: 67 ADHD and 74 healthy controls. We recorded 5 minutes of resting-state EEG. Each participant’s power estimates were averaged across clusters of electrodes and across frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, and beta. The absolute power of each frequency was analyzed. To test the combined effect of age and ADHD diagnosis on EEG power spectrum, we performed a regression analysis. RESULTS: The results revealed a typical developmental effect of decreasing absolute EEG power with increasing age. Absolute EEG power was found to decrease linearly especially for delta and theta frequencies in both groups. We also observed differences between groups. The ADHD group had significantly lower absolute power in all frequency bands, with the most pronounced difference in lower theta absolute power. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the resting-EEG developmental pattern was similar in ADHD and healthy controls. Even so, the ADHD group had consistently lower absolute EEG power, mostly in the theta frequency band. Our results are in line with deviant brain maturation hypothesis, as ADHD brain activity would not be considered the same as in healthy controls at any age. FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Supported by National Science Center (Poland) grant 2015/17/N/HS6/03020.