A case-control study of sleep disturbances in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Sleep Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Sleep disturbances are common in adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Objective characterization of sleep disturbances in pediatric OCD is lacking.
• Previous studies suggest potential links between OCD and disorders like delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) and disorders of sleep initiation and maintenance (DIMS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively characterize sleep disturbances in youth with OCD.
• To compare sleep patterns in children with OCD to healthy controls.
• To investigate the relationship between OCD and specific sleep disorders.

Main Methods:

• Thirty youth (8-18 years) with OCD and 30 age/gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) participated.
• Participants completed the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children (SDSC).
• One week of actigraphy and sleep diaries were used for objective sleep assessment; a subsample also completed the Children's Sleep Hygiene Scale (CSHS) and Sleep Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (SABS).

Main Results:

• 72% of children with OCD reported sleep disturbances, compared to 15% of HCs (p < 0.001).
• Actigraphy data indicated that disorders of sleep initiation and maintenance (DIMS) were common in pediatric OCD.
• Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) was not found to be a common disturbance in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Parental management appears to prevent circadian rhythm disruptions in pediatric OCD.
• OCD diagnosis negatively impacts the perisleep arousal system in children.
• Sleep problems in pediatric OCD may be best managed by directly treating OCD symptoms.
• Screening pediatric OCD patients for sleep disturbances is recommended to guide treatment planning.