Sleep, cognition and executive functioning in young children with cerebral palsy
Andrea F Duncan1, Nathalie L Maitre2
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience more sleep problems, impacting their cognition and executive function. Early research on sleep in infants with CP is crucial for understanding these developmental effects.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit higher risks for sleep disturbances compared to typically developing children.
- Sleep deficits in young children are linked to impaired cognition, behavior, and executive functioning.
- Limited research exists on sleep patterns in infants with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current evidence on sleep characteristics in infants and toddlers (0-3 years) with CP.
- To examine the relationship between sleep and cognitive/executive functions in this population.
- To highlight the critical need for early assessment of sleep in young children with CP.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature on sleep, cognition, and executive function in infants and toddlers with CP.
- Analysis of studies focusing on children aged 0-3 years with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
- Synthesis of findings regarding sleep patterns and their impact on developmental outcomes.
Main Results:
- Approximately half of older children with CP have diagnosed sleep disorders, yet routine screening is uncommon.
- Evidence suggests a significant association between sleep disturbances and deficits in cognition and executive functioning in children with CP.
- Data on sleep in infants and toddlers with CP is scarce, underscoring a gap in current knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Early identification and management of sleep disturbances in infants and toddlers with CP are essential.
- Addressing sleep issues may mitigate adverse effects on cognitive and executive development in young children with CP.
- Further research is warranted to fully understand sleep characteristics and their impact in this vulnerable population.
Abstract:
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at higher risk for sleep disturbances than their typically developing peers. In typically developing young children, lack of sufficient sleep results in deficits in cognition, behavior and executive functioning. Unfortunately, research on sleep in infancy rarely focuses on children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Studies of older children with CP demonstrate that roughly half of children with CP have a sleep disorder, though screening for sleep disorders in children with CP is not routinely performed. Given the high prevalence of sleep abnormalities in older children with CP and the resulting adverse effects on functioning, understanding sleep derangements and how they affect cognition and executive functioning in these children at earlier ages is critical. In this chapter, we present the state of the evidence for sleep characteristics, cognition and executive functions for infants and toddlers 0-3years old with CP.
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