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Catathrenia in children: clinical presentation, polysomnographic features, natural history, and response to therapy

Eliot S Katz1, Carolyn D'Ambrosio2

  • 1Division of Respiratory Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine : JCSM : Official Publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
|April 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Catathrenia in children often presents incidentally during sleep-disordered breathing evaluations. While treatment for obstructive sleep apnea can reduce groaning, it persists, indicating distinct underlying conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Respiratory Sleep Disorders

Background:

  • Catathrenia, characterized by vocalizations during sleep, is a rare parasomnia.
  • Understanding its clinical presentation and response to treatment in children is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical features, polysomnographic findings, and therapeutic responses in pediatric catathrenia.
  • To differentiate catathrenia from other sleep-related breathing disorders in children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 21 children diagnosed with catathrenia at Boston Children's Hospital Sleep Center (1998-2021).
  • Evaluation of clinical presentation, polysomnography (PSG) data, and treatment outcomes, particularly for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Main Results:

  • Catathrenia was diagnosed incidentally in 76% of cases, often associated with bruxism (62%).
  • Events occurred post-arousal (79%) and predominantly in the latter half of the night (73%), across REM and non-REM sleep.
  • Treatment of OSA improved or resolved OSA but only reduced catathrenia.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric catathrenia is frequently diagnosed incidentally, with onset often preceding diagnosis by years.
  • While OSA treatment can mitigate catathrenia, its persistence suggests distinct pathophysiology.
  • Catathrenia can occur independently of sleep-disordered breathing and does not typically cause significant daytime sleepiness or behavioral issues in children.
Abstract

Keywords:
bruxismgroaning

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