Risk for sleep-disordered breathing and executive function in preschoolers

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Developmental psychology
• Sleep medicine

Background:

• Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is linked to cognitive deficits.
• Executive function (EF) development in preschoolers may be particularly vulnerable to SDB.
• Previous research has not directly assessed SDB's impact on EF in this age group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between SDB risk and executive function in preschoolers.
• To utilize a multi-dimensional EF assessment approach.
• To identify specific EF domains affected by SDB in early childhood.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-nine preschoolers completed EF tasks measuring inhibition, working memory, and planning.
• Parent-reported questionnaires assessed snoring and other SDB risk behaviors.
• Regression analyses controlled for child's age.

Main Results:

• Higher parent-reported SDB risk correlated with lower performance across all EF dimensions.
• Children with frequent snoring showed significantly poorer performance on inhibition, working memory, and planning.
• Age-adjusted analyses confirmed the negative association between SDB risk and EF.

Conclusions:

• Preschool SDB is associated with impaired executive function, especially inhibition.
• Findings highlight the critical need for early SDB detection and intervention.
• Addressing SDB in preschoolers may mitigate risks to cognitive development and school readiness.