Introduction: In July 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of NEBA as the first device for the complementary evaluation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is based on quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) and includes the standardised theta/beta ratio, the results of which were consistent with both the medical and psychological clinical evaluation. Likewise, it has proved to be a useful tool for determining whether the ADHD is primary, secondary or comorbid to another pathology. Yet, to date no publications have specified whether it is a total theta/beta ratio or theta/beta-1 and theta/beta-2. Additionally, no data are provided to be able to discriminate between diagnostic subtypes of ADHD.
Aims: To quantify the theta/beta ratios, by means of qEEG, in a sample of patients from the Rio de la Plata area with a main confirmed diagnosis of ADHD, in order to compare the neurophysiological patterns according to the diagnostic subtypes.
Patients and methods: We used a randomised stratified sample of 62 subjects of both sexes, with ages between 8 and 17 years, distributed into two groups, depending on the diagnostic subtype: attention deficit subtype of ADHD (n = 31) and the combined subtype of ADHD (n = 31).
Results: High theta/beta-1 and theta/beta-2 ratios were confirmed in the Cz region, being higher than the ratios in the C3 and C4 areas. Moderate and statistically significant differences were found between the two subtypes only in the beta-1 band in the occipital regions. The analysis of the interhemispheric coherence suggests an association of the power peak crossed with the diagnostic subtype, which is the fastest peak (10 Hz) for the combined subtype. No important differences are found on analysing the phase spectra or the theta/beta ratios.
Conclusions: Although the scientific literature, especially the NEBA system, highlights the importance of the theta/beta ratio in the differential diagnosis of ADHD in control samples and other neurodevelopmental disorders, a distinction must be made between beta-1 and beta-2.
Title: Cociente theta/beta (NEBA) en el diagnostico del trastorno por deficit de atencion/hiperactividad.
Introduccion. En julio del año 2013, la Food and Drug Administration estadounidense aprobo el NEBA como el primer dispositivo para la evaluacion complementaria del trastorno por deficit de atencion/hiperactividad (TDAH), basado en el electroencefalograma cuantificado (EEGq) e incluyendo la relacion theta/beta estandarizada, cuyos resultados fueron consistentes con la evaluacion clinica, tanto medica como psicologica, y es una herramienta util para determinar si el TDAH es primario, secundario o comorbido a otro trastorno. Sin embargo, ninguna de las publicaciones, hasta la fecha, especifica si se trata de un cociente theta/beta total, o theta/beta-1 y theta/beta-2, como tampoco se aportan datos para discriminar entre subtipos diagnosticos del TDAH. Objetivo. Cuantificar los cocientes theta/beta, a traves del EEGq, en una muestra de pacientes rioplatenses con diagnostico principal confirmado de TDAH, para comparar el patron neurofisiologico segun el subtipo diagnostico. Pacientes y metodos. Muestra aleatoria estratificada de 62 sujetos de ambos sexos, de 8 a 17 años, distribuidos en dos grupos segun subtipo diagnostico, TDAH subtipo deficit de atencion (n = 31) y TDAH subtipo combinado (n = 31). Resultados. Se confirman cocientes altos theta/beta-1 y theta/beta-2 en la region Cz, mayores a los cocientes en las areas C3 y C4. Se encontraron diferencias moderadas y estadisticamente significativas entre los dos subtipos solo en la banda beta-1 en las regiones occipitales. El analisis de la coherencia interhemisferica sugiere una asociacion del pico de potencia cruzada con el subtipo diagnostico, que para el subtipo combinado es el pico mas rapido (10 Hz). No se encuentran diferencias importantes al analizar los espectros de fase, ni los cocientes theta/alfa. Conclusiones. Si bien la bibliografia cientifica, especificamente el sistema NEBA, plantea la importancia del cociente theta/beta en el diagnostico diferencial del TDAH de muestras controles y otros trastornos del neurodesarrollo, es necesario discriminar entre beta-1 y beta-2.