The sleep EEG topography in children and adolescents shows sex differences in language areas

• SWA is higher in females over cortical areas related to language functions.
• SWA is higher in males over prefrontal areas related to spatial functions.
• These findings may indicate sex-related differences in cortical plasticity.
• HD EEG during sleep may be as a useful method to study brain plasticity.

The topographic distribution of slow wave activity (SWA, EEG power between 0.75 and 4.5 Hz) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep was proposed to mirror cortical maturation with a typical age-related pattern. Here, we examined whether sex differences occur in SWA topography of children and adolescents (22 age-matched subjects, 11 boys, mean age 13.4 years, range: 8.7–19.4, and 11 girls, mean age 13.4 years, range: 9.1–19.0 years). In females, SWA during the first 60 min of NREM sleep was higher over bilateral cortical areas that are related to language functions, while in males SWA was increased over the right prefrontal cortex, a region also involved in spatial abilities. We conclude that cortical areas governing functions in which one sex outperforms the other exhibit increased sleep SWA and, thus, may indicate maturation of sex-specific brain function and higher cortical plasticity during development.