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Sleep-disordered breathing in preschool children is associated with behavioral, but not cognitive, impairments

Angela R Jackman1, Sarah N Biggs, Lisa M Walter

  • 1Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Sleep Medicine
|April 17, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Preschool children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) showed poorer behavior but not cognitive deficits. Early SDB treatment may prevent later childhood issues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Child Psychology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is linked to cognitive and behavioral issues in school-aged children.
  • Limited research exists on SDB's impact in preschool years, a critical developmental period.
  • This study addresses the SDB-behavior-cognition link in 3-5 year olds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare cognitive and behavioral functions in preschool children with SDB versus non-snoring controls.
  • To investigate the relationship between SDB severity and functional outcomes.
  • To identify potential early intervention windows for SDB.

Main Methods:

  • Overnight polysomnography was used to diagnose SDB in children aged 3-5.
  • Participants included children with primary snoring (PS), mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and moderate/severe (MS) OSAS.
  • Cognitive performance and behavioral data were collected for all participants.

Main Results:

  • Children with PS and mild OSAS exhibited significantly poorer behavior compared to controls.
  • Behavioral outcomes were sometimes worse in milder SDB groups than in the moderate/severe OSAS group.
  • No significant differences in cognitive performance were observed across all SDB severity groups and controls.

Conclusions:

  • SDB, regardless of severity, was associated with behavioral problems in preschoolers.
  • Cognitive performance remained unaffected in this preschool age group.
  • Early SDB detection and treatment may prevent future cognitive deficits.
Abstract

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