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Correlations between sleep problems, core symptoms, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with autism

Heeyeon Kim1,2, Jae Han Kim3, Ju Hyeon Yi3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Republic of Korea.

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|July 21, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have sleep issues that are linked to core symptoms and behavioral problems. Specific sleep disturbances uniquely associate with these ASD challenges, suggesting shared therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Behavioral Psychology

Background:

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with sleep disturbances.
  • A bidirectional relationship exists between sleep problems, core ASD symptoms, and behavioral issues.
  • Limited research has comprehensively examined the intricate links between these three factors in children and adolescents.

Approach:

  • A meta-analysis was conducted, systematically searching PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.
  • Included 22 observational, cross-sectional studies with 2655 participants (aged ≤18 years).
  • Assessed correlations between sleep problems, ASD core symptoms, and behavioral problems using correlation coefficients (r).

Key Points:

  • Significant correlations were found between total sleep problems and total core symptoms (r=0.293) and total sleep problems and total behavioral problems (r=0.429).
  • No significant correlation was observed between total core symptoms and total behavioral problems (r=-0.050).
  • Each specific sleep problem demonstrated a unique association with core ASD symptoms and behavioral problems.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep problems in children and adolescents with ASD are intricately linked to core symptoms and behavioral challenges.
  • These interconnected issues suggest that addressing sleep disturbances could be a valuable therapeutic target.
  • Further detailed exploration of specific sleep problems in ASD is warranted to inform targeted interventions.

Keywords:
Autism spectrum disorderBehavioral problemsCore symptomsCorrelationMeta-analysisSleep problems

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