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Symptoms and sleep characteristics of tic disorder children with allergic diseases: a case-control study
Zhang Panpan1,2, Liu Yang1,2, Wang Na1,2
1Department of Pediatrics, Dalian Municipal Women and Children's Medical Center (Group), Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Insights
Children with tic disorder (TD) and allergies show worse symptoms and sleep issues. Allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis significantly impact TD severity and sleep in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Allergy and Immunology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Tic disorder (TD) and allergic diseases frequently coexist in children.
- Allergic diseases are known to disrupt sleep patterns in pediatric populations.
- The specific impact of comorbid allergic diseases on TD symptoms and sleep remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical symptoms and sleep characteristics of children diagnosed with tic disorder who also have comorbid allergic diseases.
- To compare TD children with and without allergic conditions to identify distinct features.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted with 242 children (ages 3-14) diagnosed with TD.
- Participants were divided into two groups: those with comorbid allergic diseases (n=168) and those without (n=74).
- Data collected included general information, allergy history, TD severity via the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), and sleep habits using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).
Main Results:
- TD children with allergic diseases demonstrated significantly higher YGTSS impairment and total tic scores compared to those without allergies (p < 0.05).
- The comorbid group also exhibited significantly higher scores for parasomnias, sleep-disordered breathing, and overall CSHQ (p < 0.05).
- Specific allergic conditions like allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis were associated with distinct increases in TD severity and sleep disturbances, including decreased daytime sleepiness in allergic conjunctivitis.
Conclusions:
- Children with tic disorder and comorbid allergic diseases present with more severe clinical symptoms and poorer sleep quality, as indicated by higher CSHQ scores.
- The type of allergic disease significantly influences TD symptoms and sleep characteristics, with allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis showing notable impacts.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering allergic conditions in the comprehensive management of tic disorder in children.
Introduction:
Recent studies have shown a close relationship between tic disorder (TD) and allergic diseases in children. Allergic diseases also have a significant impact on children's sleep. Regrettably, it remains unclear whether TD children with comorbid allergic diseases exhibit distinct symptoms and sleep characteristics.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore the symptoms and sleep characteristics of TD children with allergic diseases.
Methods:
This was a case-control study involving 242 TD children (aged 3-14 years), of whom 168 had allergic diseases and 74 did not have allergic diseases. General information and allergy histories were recorded for all participants. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) was used to assess TD symptoms. All guardians of TD children were required to complete the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).
Results:
Compared with the group of TD children without allergic diseases, the comorbid allergic disease group had significantly higher impairment scale scores and total tic scores on the YGTSS (all p < 0.05). Parasomnias score, sleep-disordered breathing score, and CSHQ total score were also significantly higher in the TD group with combined allergic diseases (all p < 0.05). Further analyses revealed no significant difference in TD symptoms and sleep between groups based on the number of allergic diseases and control of allergic diseases (all p > 0.05). However, significant differences in TD symptoms and sleep occurred based on the type of allergic disease. Among them, the impairment scale score, total tic score, and sleep-disordered breathing score of the allergic rhinitis group were significantly increased (all p < 0.05); in the allergic conjunctivitis group, the total motor score and total tic score increased significantly, and the daytime sleepiness score decreased significantly (all p < 0.05). In addition, we found a correlation between the YGTSS and CSHQ scores.
Conclusion:
This study found that TD children with allergic diseases exhibited more severe clinical symptoms and higher CSHQ total scores. The clinical and sleep changes are particularly significant in TD children with different types of allergic diseases, especially allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis.
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