- Whole-scalp EEG power was higher across bands in GAD with habitual short sleep, but adjusted band comparisons did not survive FDR correction.
- Unadjusted analyses showed delta, theta and beta power differences survived FDR correction.
- Channel-wise adjusted analyses revealed posterior and centroparietal increases in delta and theta; estimates are preliminary and cannot be attributed to GAD, short sleep, or interaction.
Brain Behav. 2026 Nov;16(11):e71906. doi: 10.1002/brb3.71906.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and insufficient sleep frequently co-occur during early adulthood, yet resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) evidence in this population remains limited. The present study aimed to characterize resting-state EEG spectral power in young adults with GAD who also reported habitual short sleep, compared with healthy controls.
METHODS: This exploratory case-control study included 56 university students: 28 participants with GAD and self-reported habitual short sleep and 28 healthy controls. Resting-state EEG spectral power was quantified in the delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands. We retained unadjusted group comparisons for description and fitted age- and sex-adjusted linear models for the primary inferential interpretation. Channel-wise models likewise included group, age, and sex, with Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction across the 30 channels within each frequency band.
RESULTS: After adjustment for age and sex, group coefficients remained positive for delta (2.51, 95% CI: 0.20 to 4.82), theta (2.52, 95% CI: 0.29 to 4.74), alpha (2.46, 95% CI: -0.12 to 5.03), and beta power (2.14, 95% CI: 0.13 to 4.15), but none met the FDR threshold (adjusted FDR p = 0.0501, 0.0501, 0.0608, and 0.0501, respectively). In unadjusted analyses, delta, theta, and beta differences survived FDR correction (FDR p = 0.0480 for each), whereas alpha did not (FDR p = 0.0553). In adjusted channel-wise analyses, 26 channel-by-band comparisons across 15 channels survived within-band FDR correction; all occurred in delta or theta and were concentrated over posterior and centroparietal electrodes.
CONCLUSIONS: Whole-scalp estimates were directionally higher in the GAD plus habitual short-sleep group, but no age- and sex-adjusted frequency-band comparison survived FDR correction. Adjusted exploratory channel-wise findings indicated a posterior and centroparietal concentration in delta and theta power. These estimates remain preliminary and do not permit attribution to GAD, habitual short sleep, or their interaction.
PMID:42992989 | DOI:10.1002/brb3.71906
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