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Verbal intelligence and sleep disorders in children with ADHD
C Andreou1, A Karapetsas, P Agapitou
1Department of Special Education, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
Insights
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience poor sleep quality, leading to significantly lower Verbal IQ scores compared to their peers. These sleep disturbances may directly impact cognitive development in ADHD patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
- Sleep disturbances are frequently reported in children diagnosed with ADHD.
- The cognitive impact of sleep disorders on ADHD patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sleep disorders and Verbal IQ in children with ADHD.
- To compare sleep quality and Verbal IQ between children with ADHD and typically developing controls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized polysomnography to assess sleep patterns in children with ADHD.
- Administered the Greek version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) to measure Verbal IQ.
- Matched ADHD participants and control groups for age and sex.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD exhibited significantly poorer sleep quality, characterized by apneas, low desaturation, awakenings, and snoring.
- ADHD group demonstrated a Verbal IQ up to 20 points lower than the control group.
- A correlation was observed between poor sleep quality and reduced Verbal IQ in children with ADHD.
Conclusions:
- Sleep disorders are a significant issue in children with ADHD, impacting their overall health.
- Poor sleep quality in ADHD may contribute to deficits in verbal intelligence.
- Addressing sleep problems in ADHD could potentially improve cognitive outcomes.
Abstract:
In the present study, WISC-III Verbal IQ and sleep disorders in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and controls who were matched for age and sex were assessed. 18 children with ADHD, 14 boys and 4 girls, and 18 controls, 14 boys and 4 girls, participated. Polysomnographs were performed for all ADHD children during their night sleep. The Greek version of WISC-III was used to evaluate Verbal IQ. Analysis of the polysomnographs showed that the quality of night sleep of the children with ADHD was very poor, including apneas, low desaturation rates, and awakenings in combination with limb activity and snoring. This agreed with their low Verbal IQ, which was up to 20 points lower than the controls' Verbal IQ. Sleep disorders in ADHD children could contribute to lower Verbal IQ.