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Reduced time in bed and obstructive sleep-disordered breathing in children are associated with cognitive impairment

Paul M Suratt1, Jeffrey T Barth, Robert Diamond

  • 1Pulmonary Critical Care Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. ps4p@virginia.edu

Pediatrics
|February 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Reduced time in bed and obstructive sleep-disordered breathing significantly impair cognitive function in children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids. These factors predict lower scores in vocabulary and similarities tests, highlighting a clinically significant cognitive deficit.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neuropsychology
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is common in children and can lead to obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB).
  • OSDB is associated with various health issues, including potential cognitive impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if reduced time in bed and the severity of OSDB predict cognitive function deficits in children with suspected OSDB due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy.

Main Methods:

  • 56 children (6-12 years) with suspected OSDB underwent sleep diaries, wrist actigraphy, cognitive testing, and polysomnography.
  • Parents completed snoring and behavior questionnaires.

Main Results:

  • Shorter mean time in bed and nightly snoring predicted lower vocabulary and similarities scores.
  • Higher apnea-hypopnea index and greater variability in time in bed also correlated with reduced scores in these cognitive domains.
  • Neither mean time in bed nor its variability predicted other cognitive or behavioral outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Short or variable time in bed, nightly snoring, and a higher apnea-hypopnea index are significant predictors of impaired vocabulary and similarities scores in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy and suspected OSDB.
  • The cognitive impairment linked to reduced sleep duration and OSDB in this population is clinically substantial.
Abstract

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