Impairments in attention in occasionally snoring children: an event-related potential study
Maria E Barnes1, Elizabeth A Huss, Krista N Garrod
1Department of Psychological and Brain Science, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Insights
Even mild snoring in children may be linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-like behaviors and altered brain activity. This suggests minimal snoring is not always benign and warrants further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Snoring in children is often considered benign.
- However, emerging evidence suggests potential links between snoring and neurodevelopmental issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if minimal snoring in children is associated with behavioral and neurological differences.
- To explore the relationship between occasional snoring and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-like behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 22 children who rarely snored and age/sex-matched controls.
- Participants underwent an auditory oddball task using 128-electrode nets.
- Parents completed the Conners Parent Rating Scales-Revised Long (CPRS-R:L) to assess behavioral symptoms.
Main Results:
- Children who snored scored significantly higher on four CPRS-R:L subscales.
- Specific electroencephalography (EEG) variables, particularly related to event-related potentials (ERPs) at 844 msec, predicted ADHD Index scores.
- These findings suggest altered brain processing in children who snore.
Conclusions:
- Occasional snoring, based on parental reports, is associated with ADHD-like behaviors in children.
- Children who snore exhibit prolonged basic sensory processing, indicating increased effort for frontal activation compared to controls.
- Minimal snoring may not be benign and could be an indicator of underlying neurodevelopmental differences.
Objective:
To determine whether minimal snoring is benign in children.
Procedure:
22 rarely snoring children (mean age = 6.9 years, 11 females) and age- and sex-matched controls participated in an auditory oddball task wearing 128-electrode nets. Parents completed the Conners Parent Rating Scales-Revised Long (CPRS-R:L).
Results:
Snorers scored significantly higher on four CPRS-R:L subscales. Stepwise regression indicated that two ERP variables from a region of the ERP that peaked at 844 msec post-stimulus onset predicted CPRS-R:L Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Index scores.
Conclusions:
Occasional snorers, according to parental report, do exhibit ADHD-like behaviors. Basic sensory processing is longer than in controls, suggesting that delayed frontal activation requires more effort in snorers.
