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Updated: Jan 31, 2026
Breath Collection from Children for Disease Biomarker Discovery
Published on: February 14, 2019
Sleep-disordered breathing and reaction time in children
Mohammed Hakim1, Shabana Zainab Shafy1, Rebecca Miller1
1Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA, mohammed.hakim@nationwidechildrens.org.
Insights
Measuring reaction time (RT) using the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) did not effectively identify children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) for preoperative risk stratification.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Surgical Risk Assessment
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are prevalent in children, often exceeding diagnostic capacity.
- Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard but limited in availability for diagnosing pediatric OSA.
- Sleep deficits are linked to slower reaction times (RTs), suggesting RT as a potential screening tool.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of a 10-minute psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) in assessing reaction time (RT) in children with and without a history of OSA/SDB.
- To determine if RT measurement can serve as a cost-effective method for identifying children at higher risk of perioperative complications due to SDB.
Main Methods:
- Children aged 6-11 years were divided into an SDB group (undergoing adenotonsillectomy with SDB history) and a control group (no SDB history, different surgery).
- A 10-minute PVT was administered to measure median RT for each child.
- RT results were compared to age-sex-specific norms, and the proportion exceeding norms was compared between groups.
Main Results:
- The study included 72 children (46 SDB, 26 control).
- No significant difference in median RT was found between the SDB and control groups.
- Fifty-four percent of children with SDB and 42% of controls exceeded normative RT values, a difference not statistically significant (P=0.326).
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of children, approximately half in both SDB and control groups, exhibited slower-than-normal reaction times on the PVT.
- Despite its convenience, RT measurement via PVT did not effectively differentiate children with probable SDB/OSA for preoperative risk stratification.
Background:
The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children exceeds the availability of polysomnography (PSG) to definitively diagnose OSA and identify children at higher risk of perioperative complications. As sleep deficits are associated with slower reaction times (RTs), measuring RT may be a cost-effective approach to objectively identify SDB symptoms.
Aim:
The aim of this study is to compare RT on a standard 10-minute psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) based on children's history of OSA/SDB.
Methods:
Children, 6-11 years of age, were enrolled from two different clinical groups. The SDB group included children undergoing adenotonsillectomy with a clinical history of SDB, OSA, or snoring. The control group included children with no history of SDB, OSA, or snoring who were scheduled for surgery other than adenotonsillectomy. RT was measured via 10-minute PVT (Ambulatory Monitoring Inc., Ardsley, NY, USA). Median RT was calculated for each patient based on all responses to stimuli during the PVT assessment and was compared to published age-sex-specific norms. The proportion of children exceeding RT norms was compared between study groups.
Results:
The study included 72 patients (36/36 male/female, median age 7 years), 46 with SDB and 26 without SDB. There was no difference in the RT between the two groups. Fifty-four percent of patients with SDB exceeded norms for median RT vs 42% of control patients (95% CI of difference: - 12, 36; P=0.326).
Conclusion:
Approximately half of the patients in both groups exceeded published norms for median RT on PVT. Despite its convenience, measurement of RT did not distinguish between patients with probable SDB/OSA for preoperative risk stratification.
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