Sleep microstructure is not altered in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The high rate of occurrence of sleep disturbances in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prompted the idea that structural and neurotransmitter changes might give rise to specific sleep pattern abnormalities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microstructure of sleep in children with ADHD who had no polysomnographically diagnosed sleep disorder, had never been treated for ADHD, and were free from any psychiatric comorbidity. Participants were 14 patients with ADHD (12 boys and 2 girls aged 7-12 years, mean age 9.6+/-1.6). ADHD was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders). Psychiatric comorbidities were ruled out by detailed psychiatric examination. The patients underwent two consecutive overnight video-polysomnographic (PSG) recordings, with the sleep microstructure (cyclic alternating pattern - CAP) scoring during the second night. The data were compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Sleep microstructure analysis using CAP revealed no significant differences between the ADHD group and the controls in any of the parameters under study. In conclusions, no ADHD-specific alterations were found in the sleep microstructure.