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Sleep-disordered breathing symptoms are associated with poorer cognitive function in 5-year-old children

Daniel J Gottlieb1, Cynthia Chase, Richard M Vezina

  • 1Department of Medicine, Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2394, USA. dgottlieb@lung.bumc.bu.edu

The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 14, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Sleep-disordered breathing symptoms in children are linked to lower executive function, memory, and general intelligence. These effects persist even without diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Child Neurodevelopment
  • Respiratory Health

Background:

  • Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) encompasses conditions like snoring and sleep apnea.
  • SDB in children may impact cognitive development, but evidence is evolving.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between SDB symptoms and neurocognitive function in 5-year-old children.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional, population-based study of 205 children using parent-reported SDB symptoms.
  • Neurocognitive testing administered by blinded psychometrists.
  • Statistical analysis (ANOVA) adjusted for demographic and respiratory factors.

Main Results:

  • Children with SDB symptoms showed significantly lower scores in executive function, memory, and general intellectual ability.
  • No significant differences were observed on a continuous performance task.
  • Findings remained consistent even after excluding children with polysomnography-confirmed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Conclusions:

  • SDB symptoms in young children are associated with deficits in executive function and memory.
  • Lower general intelligence is also linked to SDB symptoms, independent of diagnosed OSA.
  • Early identification and management of SDB symptoms may be crucial for cognitive development.
Abstract

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