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Obstructive sleep apnea affects the psychological and behavioural development of children-a case-control study

Yang Hai1,2, Wei Kou1, Zheng Gu1

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing, China.

Journal of Sleep Research
|May 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Obstructive sleep apnea in children significantly impacts autism symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Early treatment can reverse these psychological and behavioral issues, especially when associated with prolonged illness and hypoxia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increasingly recognized for its potential to affect children's psychological and behavioral health.
  • Previous research suggests a link between sleep-disordered breathing and neurodevelopmental issues, but specific impacts on anxiety and depression require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on psychological and behavioral abnormalities in pediatric patients.
  • To assess the correlation between OSA severity, illness duration, hypoxia, and the manifestation of autism symptoms, anxiety, and depression.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study involving 1086 pediatric patients with OSA and 728 controls.
  • Assessment of autism symptoms, anxiety, and depression using the Autism Behaviour Checklist, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, and Children's Depression Inventory before and after surgical intervention (tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy).

Main Results:

  • Children with OSA exhibited higher scores for autism symptoms (preschoolers), anxiety (school-aged), and depression (school-aged) compared to controls.
  • Post-surgery, OSA patients showed significant reductions in scores for autism symptoms, anxiety, and depression.
  • Anxiety and depression scores correlated significantly with OSA duration and hypoxia, and were also associated with autism symptom scores.

Conclusions:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea significantly contributes to psychological and behavioral abnormalities in children, including autism symptoms, anxiety, and depression.
  • The duration of OSA and hypoxia exacerbates these effects.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment of OSA are crucial for potentially reversing associated psychological and behavioral deficits.

Keywords:
anxietyautism symptomsdepressionobstructive sleep apneapaediatric psychological and behavioural development

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