Neurocognitive dysfunction and grey matter density deficit in children with obstructive sleep apnoea

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Sleep Medicine
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Adult obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is linked to cerebral structural changes.
• Data on childhood OSA, neurocognitive function, and brain structure is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare neurocognitive function between children with and without OSA.
• Assess regional grey matter density and cerebral volume in pediatric OSA.
• Investigate associations between brain structure and neurocognitive deficits in childhood OSA.

Main Methods:

• Fifty children with OSA and 27 controls underwent neurocognitive testing.
• 3D MRI scans analyzed for total cerebral volume and regional grey matter density using voxel-based morphometry.
• Moderate-to-severe OSA defined by an obstructive apnoea hypopnoea index > 5.

Main Results:

• Children with OSA demonstrated significantly lower scores in attention and visual-fine motor coordination.
• Grey matter deficits were observed in prefrontal and temporal regions of children with moderate-to-severe OSA.
• A negative correlation existed between visual-fine motor coordination and grey matter volume ratio.

Conclusions:

• Childhood OSA is associated with deficits in attention and visual-fine motor coordination.
• Regional grey matter reduction is evident in children with more severe OSA.
• Neuroimaging reveals structural brain changes correlating with functional impairments in pediatric OSA.