Analysis of the microstructure of sleep using extended EEG monitoring can provide deep understanding of the neuronal activity of the brain. Sleep spindles (SS) are one of the main EEG patterns occurring during the non-rapid eye movement sleep. SS reflect the process of synchronization and provide sleep initiation and maintenance by suppressing sensory information. SS are associated with a wide range of brain functions, such as memory and neuroplasticity, general intelligence and cognitive performance, which undergo various changes throughout the life. In this review we discuss the features of the formation and regression of SS in humans during ontogeny on the basis of published data of the last 5-6 years and fundamental results of previous studies at the Scientific Centre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems that formed the basis of the modern study of neurophysiological phenomena of the wakefulness and sleep. The search for diagnostic patterns and prognostic markers of the pathology of higher nervous activity remains a priority in fundamental studies and medical practice. Modern methods for studying sleep and its EEG patterns are the next step in understanding the neurophysiological aspects of the sleep-wake cycle. This will open prospects for predicting postnatal maturation, understanding the mechanisms of brain neuroplasticity in the "sleep-wakefulness" continuum, which is one of the tasks of modern somnology and neurophysiology.
Keywords: EEG; diagnosis of disturbances of the nervous system development; ontogeny; sleep spindle; “delta-brushes”.
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