Sleep quality in children with asthma treated with theophylline or cromolyn sodium

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Sleep Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Asthma management in children often involves medications that may affect sleep quality.
• Theophylline and cromolyn sodium are commonly used for asthma control.
• Understanding the impact of these medications on pediatric sleep is crucial for comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of theophylline on sleep parameters in children with asthma.
• To compare the effects of theophylline with cromolyn sodium and placebo in a controlled trial.
• To assess the impact of theophylline on sleep-disordered breathing events and oxygen saturation.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial involving 10 children (10-17 years) with asthma.
• Participants received either theophylline or cromolyn sodium for 14 days.
• Sleep was monitored using objective measures including sleep latency, total sleep time, and arousal indices; pulmonary function and oxygen saturation were also assessed.

Main Results:

• Theophylline treatment did not significantly alter sleep latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, or movement time.
• No differences in pulmonary function were observed between theophylline and placebo periods.
• Theophylline significantly reduced the frequency of central apneic episodes and arterial oxygen desaturation events.

Conclusions:

• Theophylline treatment for pediatric asthma does not appear to disrupt sleep architecture or quality.
• Theophylline demonstrated a protective effect by decreasing the incidence of central apnea and hypopnea.
• Theophylline improved arterial oxygen saturation during sleep in children with asthma.