Widespread oscillatory suppression in autism persists in the absence of psychotropic medication.

Widespread oscillatory suppression in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder is linked to reduced theta, alpha, and beta EEG power (about 4–20 Hz), with strongest effects in high theta and alpha bands.

• Why it matters: Medication could confound EEG findings in ASD, so it is important to determine whether oscillatory power differences persist in drug-naive patients and reflect underlying neurophysiology.
• What they did: Resting-state eyes-open EEG from 22 scalp electrodes was analyzed in age- and sex-matched groups using multitaper FFT power spectra across delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands, including a drug-naive subgroup (N = 9).
• The result: Delta and gamma power showed no significant regional changes, while high theta and alpha suppression remained in the never-medicated subgroup, supporting a medication-independent ASD-associated EEG signature.

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