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Thoracoabdominal Asynchrony in Healthy Children

Kristjan Dereksson1,2, Sigrun Helga Lund3, Agneta Markström4

  • 1Pediatrics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Journal of Sleep Research
|June 18, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) measurement can help diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Healthy children spend less than 10% of sleep time with elevated TAA, while OSA patients exceed this threshold.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • Thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) reflects inspiratory effort and upper airway obstruction during sleep in children.
  • Accurate diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a normative range for TAA in healthy children aged 10-13 years.
  • To assess the correlation between TAA and OSA severity, sleep parameters, and patient demographics.

Main Methods:

  • Polysomnography data from 113 children (10-13 years) were analyzed.
  • Percentage of total sleep time (TST) with elevated TAA (>40°) was measured.
  • Obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI), sleep position, sleep stage, and snoring were recorded.

Main Results:

  • Healthy children (N=94) had elevated TAA for 3.3% of TST; OSA patients (N=19) had elevated TAA for 10.7% of TST (p < 0.00001).
  • A cut-off of 9.6% (rounded to 10%) of TST for elevated TAA was established as normal.
  • Elevated TAA was more prevalent during REM sleep, supine position, and associated with increased snoring and obesity.

Conclusions:

  • TAA assessment using RIP-bands can aid in interpreting pediatric sleep studies.
  • A normative TAA range of <10% TST may help differentiate healthy children from those with OSA.
  • Further research could integrate TAA into clinical decision-making for pediatric sleep disorders.

Keywords:
obesityobstructive sleep apneapolysomnographyrespiratory effortsnoring

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