Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Increase Cognitive Deficits in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease?

Although pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is estimated to affect 2-3% of the general population, its prevalence in sickle cell disease (SCD) is much higher, with research suggesting a prevalence rate of upwards of 40%. Despite the similar underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neurocognitive effects in pediatric OSA and SCD, there is a scarcity of information on how these two conditions interact. The aim of this study was to better understand the contribution of sleep apnea to neurocognitive deficits in children diagnosed with SCD.

This study assessed cognitive function in 26 children with comorbid SCD and OSA, 39 matched comparisons with SCD only, and 59 matched comparisons in children without a chronic health condition.

There were significant differences on measures of processing speed and reading decoding, with children without a chronic health condition scoring better than both chronic health condition groups. Additionally, the no chronic health condition group performed better on a test of quantitative knowledge and reasoning and a test of visual-spatial construction than the SCD-only group. Contrary to our hypotheses, there were no between-group differences suggesting an additive impact of OSA on cognition. Exploratory analyses revealed associations within the group that had OSA showing that more severe OSA correlated with lower performance on measures of processing speed and quantitative knowledge/reasoning.

Children with comorbid OSA and SCD do not present with greater deficits in cognitive functioning than children with SCD alone. However, severe OSA may confer additional risk for neurocognitive impairments.