Increased QT dispersion in breath-holding spells

Breath-holding spells (BHS) in children can be a frightening and clinically challenging paroxysmal, non-epileptic childhood disorder. The pathophysiology has been found to incorporate central nervous system dysregulation in addition to an underlying genetic predisposition. Akalin and colleagues found group differences (BHS versus controls) in QT dispersion and QTc dispersion. These differences, however, may have been affected mainly by normal sinus arrhythmia from the predominant cyanotic BHS cohort.

The subtle differences measured in the current study between pallid and cyanotic breath-holder groups, in terms of increased QTc dispersion in the pallid group, may represent an additional factor impacted upon by the resting state of underlying central autonomic dysregulation.