The association between sleep and empathy in young preschoolers: A population study.

Sleep is vital for children's early socio-emotional development, particularly empathy. This study aimed to explore the associations between sleep and empathy in young preschoolers. A sample of 23,259 preschoolers (4.3 ± 0.3 years) at the entry year of preschool was recruited as part of the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation-Preschool (SCHEDULE-P) study. Caregivers reported on child sleep, affective empathy, and cognitive empathy through the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and the Griffith Empathy Measure. Ordinary least-square regression and quantile regression were performed for the associations between sleep and empathy. Sex differences were also investigated. Night sleep duration was negatively associated with affective empathy (ß = -0.35, p < 0.001), and positively associated with cognitive empathy (ß = 0.41, p < 0.001). Longer nap duration was associated with higher affective empathy (ß = 0.28, p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were positively associated with affective empathy (ß = 0.04, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with cognitive empathy (ß = -0.09, p < 0.001). These associations were generally stronger in children at higher empathy quantiles and also those at the 10th cognitive empathy quantile. The associations between sleep and affective empathy were mainly contributed by girls, and were more common in boys in terms of cognitive empathy, particularly at the 10th and the 30th quantiles. In conclusion, longer night sleep duration and fewer sleep disturbances are associated with a more mature empathy pattern in young preschoolers. The associations are more prominent in children at the higher end of the empathy spectrum, and vary by sex. These findings highlight the importance to promote sleep health in young children for optimal socio-emotional development.

Sleep of preschoolers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a significantly large number of psychological consequences, including sleep health. The present study evaluated sleep patterns, sleep disturbances, and associated factors in Chinese preschoolers confined at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Caregivers of 1619 preschoolers (aged 4-6 years) recruited from 11 preschools in Zunyi, Guizhou province completed the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ) between 17th and 19th February 2020. Data were compared to a sociodemographically similar sample of preschoolers (included in the 11 preschools) in 2018. Compared to the 2018 sample, the confined preschoolers demonstrated changes in sleep patterns characterized by later bedtimes and wake times, longer nocturnal and shorter nap sleep durations, comparable 24-hr sleep duration, and fewer caregiver-reported sleep disturbances. Moreover, behavioural practices (sleeping arrangement, reduced electronic device use, regular diet) and parenting practices (harmonious family atmosphere and increased parent-child communication) were associated with less sleep disturbances in the confined sample. The present study provides the first description of the impact of prolonged home confinement during the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep patterns and sleep disturbances in preschoolers, as well as highlighting the importance of the link between sleep health and family factors. Given that disrupted and insufficient sleep has been linked to immune system dysfunction, our findings also have potential implications for resilience to infection in young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies should further explore deficient sleep as a risk factor for coronavirus infection.

Cohort Profile: The Shanghai Sleep Birth Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances in women occur frequently throughout pregnancy. Previous studies have demonstrated that the increasing incidence of physiological and psychological illness is concurrent with increasing sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality in adults and children. OBJECTIVES: The Shanghai Sleep Birth Cohort Study (SSBCS) was established to examine the effect of sleep disturbances during the third trimester on emotional regulation of mothers; to assess the effect of maternal sleep during pregnancy on the growth and development of children; and to explore the influence of children's sleep characteristics on physical and social-emotional development. POPULATION: The study was conducted in the Renji Hospital in Pudong New District, Shanghai from May 2012 to July 2013. Women and their newborns who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in this study were recruited to the SSBCS. METHODS: The follow-up visits for children were conducted at the age of 42 days, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months, and 3, 4, and 6 years. Data on demographic factors, physical examination, sleep assessment, developmental and psychiatric assessment, diet records, and biological samples were collected throughout the study. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: A total of 277 pregnant women were recruited to the study; the response rate was 64.3%. 37.9% of the pregnant women had poor sleep quality and 12.0% suffered from depression. Infant sleep patterns changed during the first year of life, but most sleep characteristics showed little variation from 6 to 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The SSBCS is an on-going prospective cohort study with follow-up to 6 years. The detailed data on demographic factors, sleep assessment, physical examinations, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric assessment, diet records, and biological samples make this research platform an important resource for examining the potential effects of sleep characteristics on both maternal and child health.

Combined effects of weight change trajectories and eating behaviors on childhood adiposity status: A birth cohort study.

Previous studies have suggested that infant rapid weight change can be associated with an increased weight later in life. However, the weight change trajectory in early life over time and which childhood lifestyle behaviors may modify the risk of rapid weight change have not been characterized. Using our ongoing birth cohort study, we have addressed these issues. Nine follow-up time points (birth, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 months) were used to calculate the change between two adjacent weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ-change), and then WAZ-change trajectories were defined via group-based trajectory modeling. The solitary, independent and combined effects of WAZ-change trajectories and each lifestyle factor (eating behaviors, physical activity, media exposure time and total sleep duration) on childhood adiposity measures at age 4 years were determined using multivariate regression analysis. Overall, 84 (38%) children had a steady growth trajectory from birth to 4 years, while the other 137 (62%) children had an early infancy rapid growth trajectory, particularly in the first three months. Compared to children with steady growth, children with early infancy rapid growth had a significantly higher body mass index, waist circumference, and subcutaneous fat. Moreover, weight change trajectory and three eating behaviors (i.e. food responsiveness, satiety responsiveness and food fussiness), not only had independent effects, but also combined (synergistic) effects on the majority of adiposity measures. Our results extend the current literature and provide a potentially valuable model to aid clinicians and health professionals in designing early-life interventions targeting specific populations, specific ages and specific lifestyle behaviors to prevent childhood overweight/obesity.

Dysregulations of miR-503-5p and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway coordinate in mediating cadmium-induced kidney fibrosis.

Cadmium is a severe environmental pollutant that mainly targets kidney and causes kidney disease in the end. However, the mechanism of cadmium-induced kidney disease is still unclear. In this study, we treated SD rats, kidney epithelial or fibroblast cells with cadmium, and examined the renal fibrosis process and underlying cellular and molecular mechanism. Rats received daily (Monday-Friday) subcutaneous injections of CdCl2, 0.6 mg/kg, for 6 weeks or 12 weeks, and NRK-52E cells were treated with CdCl2 of 8 µM for 24 h. Sirius red staining and immunohistochemistry assay showed that sub-chronic exposure to cadmium caused interstitial fibrosis in rat kidneys. Cell experiments showed that cadmium treatment in NRK-52E cells only changed levels of α-SMA, vimentin and E-cadherin, but not collagen1, indicating that cells other than EMT cells might be responsible for the extracellular matrix production. By contrast, co-culture of NRK-49F cells with cadmium-treated NRK-52E cells produced collagen1. Assays of supernatant of NRK-52E cell culture showed that the secreted Wnt1, Wnt4 were increased, while miR-503-5p was decreased by cadmium treatment. RT-QPCR assay found that miR-503-5p was downregulated in both kidney of rats and NRK-52E cells exposed to cadmium. miR-503-5p was further shown to be competent in hindering epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibroblast activation. Given the well established involvement of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in fibrosis, this study suggested that dysregulations of Wnts and miR-503-5p coordinate in mediating cadmium-induced kidney fibrosis. Our findings might provide new insight in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of kidney interstitial fibrosis and novel therapeutic targets for cadmium-induced kidney disease.

Association between Sleep Disturbances and Emotional/Behavioral Problems in Chinese and Japanese Preschoolers.

Objectives: Sleep disturbances are often associated with emotional/behavioral problems in young children, but whether the association differs among Asian countries remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep disturbances and emotional/behavioral problems in Chinese and Japanese preschoolers and to explore potential differences.Methods: Participants were 1,020 Chinese preschoolers from 10 cities and 438 Japanese preschoolers from 1 city aged 4 to 5 years. Parents filled out the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).Results: Chinese children with sleep disturbances (defined as total CSHQ score >41) demonstrated more peer problems than children without, while there was no such difference in Japanese preschoolers. Domains of sleep disturbances associated with emotional/behavioral problems in Chinese children were sleep disordered breathing and daytime sleepiness, yet in Japanese children were sleep anxiety and night wakings. Children with a higher score of sleep anxiety showed more emotional problems in Japan, but fewer conduct problems in China.Conclusions: Sleep disturbances were associated with emotional/behavioral problems in preschoolers with differences between China and Japan, indicating subcultural differences in preschoolers' sleep within Asian countries.Abbreviations: CSHQ: Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire; SDQ: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; ANCOVA: analysis of covariance; SD: standard deviation; CI: confidence interval.

MiR-122-5p and miR-326-3p promote cadmium-induced NRK-52E cell apoptosis by downregulating PLD1.

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal distributed broadly in the environment and manufactory industry. Long-term exposure to cadmium, considered as a risk for kidney injury, leads to chronic kidney disease eventually. Phospholipase D1 (PLD1) promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis, and might be involved in cadmium-induced kidney injury. In this study, we used miRNA microarray assays and bioinformatics analysis to identify miRNAs, which may regulate PLD1 expression and exert an impact on cadmium-induced kidney injury. MiR-122-5p and miR-326-3p，selected as candidates, were explored for their regulatory functions in kidney injury, using NRK-52E cells. Both of these two miRNAs exhibited higher expression in kidneys of SD rats after exposure to cadmium for 6 weeks. Cadmium treatment also increased miR-122-5p and miR-326-3p and decreased PLD1 in NRK-52E cells. Both of miR-122-5p and miR-326-3p could downregulate PLD1 expression through targeting its 3'UTR and enhance cadmium-induced apoptosis, while inhibiting either of these two miRNAs could reverse such effects. In conclusion, our results suggest that miR-122-5p and miR-326-3p might enhance cadmium-induced NRK-52E cell apoptosis through downregulating PLD1 expression.

De novo truncating variant in NSD2gene leading to atypical Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a contiguous gene syndrome caused by partial 4p deletion highly variable in size in individual patients. The core WHS phenotype is defined by the association of growth delay, typical facial characteristics, intellectual disability and seizures. The WHS critical region (WHSCR) has been narrowed down and NSD2 falls within this 200 kb region. Only four patients with NSD2 variants have been documented with phenotypic features in detail. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we report the case of a 12-year-old boy with developmental delay. He had dysmorphic facial features including wide-spaced eyes, prominent nasal bridge continuing to forehead, abnormal teething and micrognathia. He also had mild clinodactyly of both hands. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a pathogenic mutation in NSD2 [c.4029_4030insAA, p.Glu1344Lysfs*49] isolated from peripheral blood DNA. Sanger confirmation of this variant revealed it as a de novo truncating variant in the family. CONCLUSION: Here, we reported a boy with de novo truncating variant in NSD2 with atypical clinical features comparing with 4p16.3 deletion related WHS. Our finding further supported the pathogenesis of truncating variants in NSD2 and delineated the possible symptom spectrum caused by these variants.

Interleukin-1ß Activates a MYC-Dependent Metabolic Switch in Kidney Stromal Cells Necessary for Progressive Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis.

Background Kidney injury is characterized by persisting inflammation and fibrosis, yet mechanisms by which inflammatory signals drive fibrogenesis remain poorly defined.Methods RNA sequencing of fibrotic kidneys from patients with CKD identified a metabolic gene signature comprising loss of mitochondrial and oxidative phosphorylation gene expression with a concomitant increase in regulators and enzymes of glycolysis under the control of PGC1α and MYC transcription factors, respectively. We modeled this metabolic switch in vivo, in experimental murine models of kidney injury, and in vitro in human kidney stromal cells (SCs) and human kidney organoids.Results In mice, MYC and the target genes thereof became activated in resident SCs early after kidney injury, suggesting that acute innate immune signals regulate this transcriptional switch. In vitro, stimulation of purified human kidney SCs and human kidney organoids with IL-1ß recapitulated the molecular events observed in vivo, inducing functional metabolic derangement characterized by increased MYC-dependent glycolysis, the latter proving necessary to drive proliferation and matrix production. MYC interacted directly with sequestosome 1/p62, which is involved in proteasomal degradation, and modulation of p62 expression caused inverse effects on MYC expression. IL-1ß stimulated autophagy flux, causing degradation of p62 and accumulation of MYC. Inhibition of the IL-1R signal transducer kinase IRAK4 in vivo or inhibition of MYC in vivo as well as in human kidney organoids in vitro abrogated fibrosis and reduced tubular injury.Conclusions Our findings define a connection between IL-1ß and metabolic switch in fibrosis initiation and progression and highlight IL-1ß and MYC as potential therapeutic targets in tubulointerstitial diseases.

The miR-599 promotes non-small cell lung cancer cell invasion via SATB2.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of many types of cancers by negatively regulating gene expression at posttranscriptional level. Here, we identified that miR-599 is up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. It promoted NSCLC cell proliferation by negatively regulating SATB2. In NSCLC cell lines, CCK-8 proliferation assay indicated that the cell proliferation is promoted by miR-599 mimics. Transwell assay showed that miR-599 mimics promoted the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. Luciferase assays confirmed that miR-599 directly binds to the 3'untranslated region of SATB2, and western blotting showed that miR-599 suppresses the expression of SATB2 at the protein level. This study indicates that miR-599 promotes proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cell lines via SATB2. The miR-599 may represent a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment.

Sleep Patterns, Sleep Disturbances, and Associated Factors Among Chinese Urban Kindergarten Children.

This study aimed to characterize sleep patterns and disturbances among Chinese urban kindergarten children and examine potentially associated factors. Caregivers of 513 children (47.96% male) aged 3-6 years (mean age = 4.46, SD = 0.9) completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Almost 80% (78.8%) of the children scored above the original CSHQ cutoff point for global sleep disturbance. Regression analysis indicated that child's age, and the presence of emotional problems, hyperactivity and peer problems, cosleeping, and interparental inconsistency of attitudes toward child rearing accounted for significant variance in the CSHQ total score (R(2) = 22%). These findings indicate that there is an apparently high prevalence of sleep disturbances in Chinese urban kindergarten children; and sleep disturbances are associated with both child-related and parenting practice variables.

Sleep Disturbances and Associated Factors in Chinese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Retrospective and Cross-Sectional Study.

Sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exist worldwide, but little is known about this issue in non-Western cultures. This study aimed to characterize sleep disturbances in Chinese children with ASD and to examine associated sociodemographic factors and emotional/behavioral problems. Parents of 60 Chinese children with ASD (aged 6-17 years) from Shenzhen, China completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Sleep disturbances were severe and common, with rates of 70.0% for overall disturbances and 15.0% (daytime sleepiness) to 40.0% (sleep duration) for specific domains. The severity and rate of sleep disturbances were higher compared to previous studies in typically developing children from the same region of China and American children with ASD, respectively. Further, there were significant correlations between most CSHQ and SDQ domains. Female gender, older parental age, higher hyperactivity, and poorer prosocial behavior were associated with increased overall sleep disturbances.

CRTC3 polymorphisms were associated with the plasma level of total cholesterol and the risks of overweight and hypertriglyceridemia in a Chinese Han population.

CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 3 (CRTC3) was a recently identified protein which played an important role in glucose and lipid metabolism. Previous research showed that the polymorphisms of CRTC3 were associated with obesity in Mexican-Americans. Data on that relationship in Chinese was unavailable so far. So we investigated whether the polymorphisms of CRTC3 could confer risks of obesity or other metabolic disorders in Chinese population. 1,550 subjects were recruited from physical examination participants. Two SNPs of CRTC3, rs3862434 and rs11635252, were genotyped with the method of PCR-RFLP. Logistic regression model was applied to calculate the risks of overweight, obesity and dyslipidemias for genotypes. The rs3862434 was significantly associated with the plasma level of total cholesterol (P = 0.026), with the G allele carriers having a lower level compared with the AA genotype (P = 0.018). The rs11635252 was associated with the risks of overweight and hypertriglyceridemia, specifically, T allele had higher risks of overweight and hypertriglyceridemia compared with C allele (OR 1.23, 95 % CI 1.02-1.48, P = 0.024; OR 1.22, 95 % CI 1.00-1.48, P = 0.048, respectively). In conclusion, the CRTC3 polymorphism rs3862434 was associated with the plasma level of total cholesterol, and rs11635252 was associated with the risks of overweight and hypertriglyceridemia in a Chinese Han population, which might strengthen our understanding of the complex heredity of metabolic disorders.

Association of STAT3 common variations with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia: protective and contributive effects.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays an important role in energy metabolism. Here we explore whether STAT3 common variations influence risks of obesity and other metabolic disorders in a Chinese Han population. Two tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs), rs1053005 and rs957970, were used to capture the common variations of STAT3. Relationships between genotypes and obesity, body mass index, plasma triglyceride and other metabolic diseases related parameters were analyzed for association study in 1742 subjects. Generalized linear model and logistic regression model were used for quantitative data analysis and case-control study, respectively. rs1053005 was significantly associated with body mass index and waist circumference (p=0.013 and p=0.02, respectively). rs957970 was significantly associated with plasma level of triglyceride (p=0.007). GG genotype at rs1053005 had lower risks of both general obesity and central obesity (OR=0.40, p=0.034; OR=0.42, p=0.007, respectively) compared with AA genotype. CT genotype at rs957970 had a higher risk of hypertriglyceridemia (OR=1.43, p=0.015) compared with TT genotype. Neither of the two SNPs was associated with othermetabolic diseases related parameters. Our observations indicated that common variations of STAT3 could significantly affect the risk of obesity and hypertriglyceridemia in Chinese Han population.

Daytime sleep duration during infancy as an indicator for cognitive development at school age: a prospective cohort study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The reduction in daytime sleep during early life is considered one of the indicators of the maturation of sleep patterns, which is closely associated with cognitive development. The current study aims to analyze the relationships between daytime sleep duration (DSD) during infancy and cognitive development at 6 and 10 years. METHODS: The study included 262 mothers with their newborns from the Shanghai Sleep Birth Cohort Study, spanning 11 follow-ups from 42 days to 10 years. Sleep parameters were assessed using parent-reported questionnaires at each follow-up, and cognitive development was evaluated with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, fourth edition at 6 and 10 years. RESULTS: Two distinct DSD trajectories in early childhood were identified: "typical DSD" (66.7%) and "infancy excessive DSD" (33.3%). Children in the "infancy excessive DSD" trajectory exhibited lower working memory scores than those in the "typical DSD" trajectory at 6 years (mean difference = 5.90, 95% confidence interval [1.83, 9.96], P = .005) and 10 years (mean difference = 4.37, 95% confidence interval [0.26, 8.48], P = .037). Additional analysis in a relatively homogeneous sample consistently showed correlations between DSD trajectories and working memory performance. No consistent significant differences were found in other domains of cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive daytime sleep during infancy may serve as an early indicator for poor working memory at school age. These findings raise concerns about the long-term cognitive development of infants with excessive DSD. CITATION: Lin J, Jiang Y, Xiao X, et al. Daytime sleep duration during infancy as an indicator for cognitive development at school age: a prospective cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(7):1069-1077.

Sleep problems and duration in school-aged children at different levels of giftedness.

OBJECTIVES: Optimal sleep is crucial for developing and maintaining gifted children's cognitive abilities. However, only a few studies have explored the sleep profiles of gifted children and overlooked their internal variations. This study aimed to investigate subjective and object sleep profiles in school-aged gifted children with different levels of giftedness. METHODS: This study included 80 school-aged children (50 % male) aged 6-11 years. Giftedness was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Subjective and objective sleep were evaluated using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Actiwatch 2. RESULTS: The sample was divided into three groups based on their full scale intelligence quotient (IQ): 16 typically developing children (IQ < 130), 38 moderately gifted children (IQ: 130-145), and 26 highly gifted children (IQ > 145). The highly gifted children had the mildest sleep problems, particularly in sleep duration and daytime sleepiness. Moderately gifted children had the shortest subjective average sleep duration, while the three groups had no significant differences in Actiwatch-measured sleep variables. Furthermore, CSHQ total and daytime sleepiness subscale scores were negatively associated with the full scale IQ in gifted children after controlling for confounders including emotional and behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS: Children with higher levels of giftedness experience fewer subjective sleep problems but have similar objective sleep parameters. It is imperative to implement tailored sleep strategies for fostering intellectual development and nurturing young talents.

The time sensitive and dose-responsive association between parental corporal punishment and sleep disturbances in preschoolers: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To examine whether parental corporal punishment is associated with increased risk of concurrent and later sleep disturbances among preschoolers, and whether the association is time-sensitive or dose-responsive. METHODS: This 3-year prospective cohort study used data from the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation, Preschool(SCHEDULE-P). Participants were newly enrolled preschoolers in November 2016(wave 1) and followed up in April 2018(wave 2) and April 2019(wave 3). Parents reported the children's corporal punishment experiences and sleep disturbances at each wave survey. Children's risk of sleep disturbances in relation to corporal punishment was examined using logistic regression, adjusting for children's age, gender, emotional/behavioral problems, family annual income, and maternal educational level. RESULTS: The participants of 19,668 children included 9436(47.98 %) females, with a mean age of 3.73(SD = 0.29) years at wave 1. Exposure to corporal punishment was associated with increased odds of concurrent sleep disturbances at wave 1, 2, and 3 (aOR,1.57; 95 % CI, 1.40-1.75; P < .001; aOR,1.60; 95 % CI, 1.43-1.80; P < .001; aOR,1.74; 95 % CI, 1.54-1.95; P < .001), respectively. Exposure to corporal punishment at any wave of preschool was associated with increased odds of sleep disturbances at wave 3, and the risks were greater for proximal and accumulative corporal punishment exposure. CONCLUSION: There is a time-sensitive and dose-responsive association between corporal punishment and sleep disturbance among preschoolers, with greater risk of sleep disturbances for proximal and accumulative exposure of corporal punishment. Promoting positive parenting strategies and avoiding corporal punishment can be a promising strategy to prevent and intervene sleep disturbances in preschoolers.

Melatonin use in managing insomnia in children with autism and other neurogenetic disorders - An assessment by the international pediatric sleep association (IPSA).

Though it is widely prescribed for improving sleep of children with autism and other neurogenetic disorders, there is a need for practical guidance to clinicians on the use of melatonin for managing insomnia in this population. Because data were either lacking or inconclusive, a task force was established by the International Pediatric Sleep Association (IPSA) to examine the literature based on clinical trials from 2012 onwards. A summary of evidence pertaining to melatonin's utility and potential side effects, practice-related caveats, and insights for use are published herewith.