[Research progress on the effects of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on cognition and brain functions]

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Medicine
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common childhood sleep disorder causing airway obstruction, leading to intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation.
• These physiological changes in pediatric OSAS can negatively impact brain development and cognitive functions, including executive functions.
• Existing research highlights gray and white matter abnormalities and altered regional brain activity in children with OSAS, but network-level effects remain unclear.

Approach:

• This review synthesizes current knowledge on brain structure and function in pediatric OSAS using neuroimaging techniques like MRI and EEG.
• It identifies gaps in understanding the mechanisms by which OSAS affects brain networks and their relationship to cognitive impairments.
• The review proposes future research directions focusing on multimodal neuroimaging to explore brain network organization and its correlation with cognitive deficits.

Key Points:

• Children with OSAS exhibit widespread gray and white matter damage and impaired cognitive abilities.
• Current research primarily focuses on regional brain activity, leaving the impact of OSAS on brain networks largely unexplored.
• The association between structural/functional brain alterations and cognitive impairment in pediatric OSAS requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Future research should employ multimodal neuroimaging to investigate alterations in brain network organization in pediatric OSAS.
• Exploring the relationship between brain network changes and cognitive dysfunction is crucial for understanding OSAS's impact.
• Identifying neuroimaging biomarkers can aid in monitoring brain development, clinical diagnosis, and developing effective interventions for pediatric OSAS.