Evaluation of quantitative electroencephalogram changes in the assessment of anxiety disorders among children and adolescents

Background Anxiety disorders are considered a major health problem affecting children and adolescents with high incidence and prevalence in different societies. Aim The present study aimed at detecting the quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) changes in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders compared with healthy children. It also aimed to estimate sensitivity and specificity of QEEG in the identification of children with anxiety disorders. Patients and methods This is a case–control study, which was conducted on 20 children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and 20 healthy children and adolescents. Children were initially screened with the Arabic version of Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders and then furtherly subjected to interviewing children and caregivers and finally psychological testing using questionnaires for both the child and parents to verify diagnosis of anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. QEEG recording: QEEG recording was performed to cases and controls under comfortable light and calm room without artifacts to assess spectrum power. Results Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, theta wave spectrum power can significantly detect anxiety disorders in children and adolescents at cutoff less than or equal to 65.4 with a sensitivity and specificity of 80 and 65%, respectively. High-frequency beta wave spectrum power can significantly detect children and adolescents with anxiety disorders at a cutoff more than 23.7 with a sensitivity and specificity of 65 and 90%, respectively. Conclusion Children and adolescents with anxiety disorders have QEEG changes that coincide with their symptomatology proving that QEEG is a useful method in the assessment and diagnosis of anxiety disorders.