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Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Children
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Cyclic alternating pattern in peripubertal children

Maria Cecilia Lopes1, Agostinho Rosa, Suely Roizenblatt

  • 1Department of Psychobiology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. m.cecilialopes@psicobio.epm.br

Sleep
|September 21, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) events are more frequent in 8-12-year-olds than younger children, with distinct phase patterns observed in boys and girls. This sleep instability metric is associated with EEG arousals.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neurophysiology
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) and arousals are key indicators of sleep instability and fragmentation in children.
  • Understanding these patterns in the peripubertal age group (8-12 years) is crucial for accurate sleep assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the expression and characteristics of CAP events in healthy children aged 8-12 years.
  • To analyze the association between CAP events and arousals in this age group.
  • To provide normative data for CAP in peripubertal children.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive study involving ten healthy, sex-matched children aged 8-12 years.
  • Standard polysomnography was conducted following an adaptation night.
  • Sleep stages, CAP, and arousals were analyzed using international criteria.

Main Results:

  • The mean CAP rate was 62.1% ± 10.8%, significantly higher than in younger children.
  • CAP A1 phase was most common (85.5%), with higher A2 and A3 phase prevalence in girls.
  • A positive correlation was found between EEG arousals and CAP A2/A3 phases.

Conclusions:

  • This study establishes normative CAP data for children aged 8-12 years.
  • Age and Tanner stage are important considerations for interpreting CAP in peripubertal children.
  • CAP analysis offers valuable insights into sleep instability in this demographic.
Abstract

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