Impaired selective attention in patients with severe primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis: An event-related
Mohamed N Thabit1, Ahmed M Abd Elhamed2
1Department of Neurology, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
Insights
Children with severe primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) show impaired selective attention and resource allocation. These findings suggest attention-based interventions could benefit severe PMNE treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) is a common childhood condition often linked to central nervous system maturational lag.
- Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of PMNE is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate selective attention and resource allocation in children with PMNE using Event-Related Potentials (ERPs).
- To correlate P300 wave characteristics with the severity of PMNE.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 44 children with PMNE and 23 healthy controls.
- Diagnosis and classification of PMNE based on International Children's Continence Society criteria into frequent (≥4/week) and infrequent (<4/week) wetting groups.
- Measurement of N200 and P300 peak latencies and amplitudes using ERPs with an odd-ball paradigm at Fz, Cz, and Pz locations.
Main Results:
- Children with severe PMNE (frequent wetting) exhibited significantly increased P300 and N200/P300 interpeak latencies.
- Severe PMNE group showed significantly decreased P300 amplitudes compared to healthy controls and the infrequent wetting group.
- These ERP findings indicate abnormal selective attention and resource allocation in severe PMNE.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal selective attention and resource allocation are present in children with severe PMNE.
- Interventions aimed at improving selective attention may offer a therapeutic avenue for managing severe PMNE.
- Further research into attention-enhancing strategies is warranted for PMNE treatment.
Objectives:
Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) is a very common problem in school age children. It is thought that PMNE represents a maturational lag in the central nervous system of those children. We did this case control study to assess the selective attention and resource allocation in those children using the P300 wave of the Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) and its relation to disease severity.
Methods:
Forty four patients with PMNE and twenty three healthy controls were included in this study. Patients were diagnosed according to the criteria of international children's continence society and were classified into two groups; patients with frequent wetting (≥4 episodes/week), and patients with infrequent wetting (<4 episodes/week). ERPs were recorded at Fz, Cz, and Pz locations using odd-ball paradigm. N200 and P300 peak latencies (ms), and N200/P300 peak to peak amplitudes (µV) were measured.
Results:
We found significant increase of P300 and N200/P300 interpeak latencies, and significant decrease of P300 amplitudes in frequent wetting group "severe" PMNE compared to healthy controls and infrequent wetting group.
Conclusion:
Abnormal selective attention and resource allocation were found in patients with severe PMNE. Measures to improve selective attention might be helpful in treatment of patients with severe PMNE.
Significance:
Impaired selective attention might play a role in pathogenesis of severe PMNE and the need for the various measures to improve selective attention may be further studied as a therapeutic tool for patients with severe PMNE.
