Modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Depressed Adolescents: A Pilot Study.

Objective/Background: The purpose of the study was to pilot a five-week insomnia treatment in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) and insomnia. This was an open-label trial of a modified-group cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). Participants: Adolescents with MDD (n = 16; mean age = 17.3 +/- 1.7), characterized by the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised T-score ≥ 55 and insomnia, characterized by > 30 min to fall or return to sleep and an Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score of ≥ 7 participated. Methods: Sleep diaries, actigraphy, weekly ISI, Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) were completed. Results: Paired t-tests comparing pre- and posttreatment revealed a decrease in sleep onset latency from 41 min +/- 14 min to 18 min +/- 8.9 min (t = 5.9, p = .004). Linear mixed modeling across sessions revealed that ISI (B = 11.0, SE = 0.94, p < .001), QIDS (B = 11.3, SE = 0.96, p < .001), and MFI (B = 30.0, SE = 4.4, p < .001) improved across treatment. Daily sleep diaries showed decreased wake during the night (B = 22.8, SE = 7.19, p = .008), increased sleep time (B = 382.4, SE = 71.89, p < .001), and increased quality of sleep (B = 3.7, SE = 0.37, p < .001). When asked whether group members would recommend this group, 27% responded "yes" and 73% responded "definitely yes." Conclusions: Additional controlled studies utilizing sleep-focused therapy in depressed adolescents with insomnia are warranted.

A randomized trial of adenotonsillectomy for childhood sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: Adenotonsillectomy is commonly performed in children with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, yet its usefulness in reducing symptoms and improving cognition, behavior, quality of life, and polysomnographic findings has not been rigorously evaluated. We hypothesized that, in children with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome without prolonged oxyhemoglobin desaturation, early adenotonsillectomy, as compared with watchful waiting with supportive care, would result in improved outcomes. METHODS: We randomly assigned 464 children, 5 to 9 years of age, with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome to early adenotonsillectomy or a strategy of watchful waiting. Polysomnographic, cognitive, behavioral, and health outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 7 months. RESULTS: The average baseline value for the primary outcome, the attention and executive-function score on the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (with scores ranging from 50 to 150 and higher scores indicating better functioning), was close to the population mean of 100, and the change from baseline to follow-up did not differ significantly according to study group (mean [±SD] improvement, 7.1±13.9 in the early-adenotonsillectomy group and 5.1±13.4 in the watchful-waiting group; P=0.16). In contrast, there were significantly greater improvements in behavioral, quality-of-life, and polysomnographic findings and significantly greater reduction in symptoms in the early-adenotonsillectomy group than in the watchful-waiting group. Normalization of polysomnographic findings was observed in a larger proportion of children in the early-adenotonsillectomy group than in the watchful-waiting group (79% vs. 46%). CONCLUSIONS: As compared with a strategy of watchful waiting, surgical treatment for the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in school-age children did not significantly improve attention or executive function as measured by neuropsychological testing but did reduce symptoms and improve secondary outcomes of behavior, quality of life, and polysomnographic findings, thus providing evidence of beneficial effects of early adenotonsillectomy. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health; CHAT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00560859.).

Characterization of a sleep architectural phenotype in children with Down syndrome.

PURPOSE: Evidence suggests that while the high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with Down syndrome (DS) likely contributes to sleep fragmentation, their poor sleep is only partly attributable to the presence of OSA. We hypothesized that a sleep phenotype exists for DS, which would be independent of OSA and evident across childhood. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of sleep architecture in children with DS together with matched controls. All subjects underwent baseline polysomnography between January 1985 and January 2013. Case-control pairs were compared according to age group. RESULTS: Sleep characteristics were compared in 130 DS subjects aged 0-17.8 years (median 5.8 years) and 130 matched controls. Body mass index z-scores were similar between cases and controls. Compared to controls, children with DS had a lower sleep efficiency and higher percentage of slow-wave sleep at 2-6.9, 7-11.9, and 12-17.9 years (p <0.05 for all) as well as reduced rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep percentage, significant at 7-11.9 years (p <0.05). Children with DS exhibited increased N1 sleep at 2-6.9 years but decreased N1 sleep at 12-17.9 years compared to controls (p <0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Children with DS exhibit altered sleep architecture when compared to non-DS children of similar age and OSA severity. Notably, reduced REM sleep and increased slow-wave sleep was seen independent of OSA in children with DS over 2 years. Amounts of both REM and non-REM sleep may have important implications for learning, memory, and behavior, all the more significant in this population with baseline neurocognitive impairment.

Subjective sleepiness and polysomnographic correlates in children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy vs other surgical care.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare a validated subjective measure of childhood sleepiness to an objective determination, assess the frequency of problematic sleepiness among children with suspected sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and examine what standard or investigational polysomnographic measures of SDB predict subjective sleepiness. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional. SETTING: University-based sleep disorders laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Washtenaw County Adenotonsillectomy Cohort. INTERVENTION: Polysomnography followed by Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLTs) in 103 children aged 5 to 12 years old: 77 were scheduled for clinically indicated adenotonsillectomy, usually for suspected SDB, and 26 for unrelated surgical care. Parents completed the previously validated, 4-item Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire-Sleepiness Subscale (PSQ-SS). RESULTS: Thirty-three (43%) of the children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy had high PSQ-SS scores, in comparison with only 3 (12%) of the controls (p = .004). The PSQ-SS scores correlated inversely with mean sleep latencies on the MSLTs (rho = -0.23, p = .006). The obstructive apnea index, apnea-hypopnea index, and respiratory disturbance index (which included respiratory event-related arousals identified by esophageal pressure monitoring) each correlated similarly with PSQ-SS scores, as did investigational quantification of esophageal pressures and respiratory cycle-related electroencephalographic changes (each rho approximately 0.30, p < .02). A stepwise regression identified sigma-frequency respiratory cycle-related electroencephalographic changes as the strongest independent predictor of subjective sleepiness among all subjects and particularly among those without obstructive sleep apnea. CONCLUSIONS: Sleepiness is a frequent problem among children with suspected SDB. Subjective sleepiness (PSQ-SS) reflects MSLT results to a limited extent, as in adults. Standard polysomnographic measures of SDB predict subjective sleepiness, but respiratory cycle-related electroencephalographic changes may offer additional clinical utility.

Improved behavior after adenotonsillectomy in children with higher and lower IQ.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether high intellectual ability, in comparison to average or lower performance, reflects the consequences of sleep-disordered breathing and limits behavioral benefit observed 6 months after adenotonsillectomy. METHODS: Children aged 3-12 years (n=147) recruited from otolaryngology practices at two hospitals and assessed with Conners' Parent Rating Scales and an age range-appropriate intellectual measure, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale at baseline and 6 months after clinically-indicated adenotonsillectomy. Subjects were classified as having high (IQ≥110), average (90≤IQ<110), or low (IQ<90) cognitive ability. RESULTS: After adenotonsillectomy, improvements in Conners' internalizing, externalizing, hyperactivity, and cognitive domains were observed across IQ groups (main effects for time, all p<0.01 or better), with no evidence for differential improvements among the groups (no significant time by IQ group interactions). The magnitude of behavioral improvement among children with high IQ resembled that observed among the other two groups. Changes in the Conners' domains were not significantly correlated with baseline IQ, age, socioeconomic status, body mass index z-score, or respiratory disturbance index. CONCLUSION: Behavioral function can improve after adenotonsillectomy even among children with relatively high intellectual ability at baseline. Diagnosis and treatment with expectation of neurobehavioral benefit should be considered among high-performing children as readily as it is more traditionally among their lower-performing peers.

Pediatric sleep-related breathing disorders and restless legs syndrome: how children are different.

Sleep-related breathing disorders and restless legs syndrome have traditionally been felt to affect primarily adults. Recent research suggests that these conditions are surprisingly common in children as well, and that clinical manifestations may differ considerably from those seen in adults. This review summarizes the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders and restless legs syndrome in children. Particular emphasis is placed on recent research and on how the presentation and treatment of these conditions are different in children compared with adults.

Identification and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children with epilepsy: a prospective pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on seizure frequency in adults and children with epilepsy in a prospective study. Several case series documented an improvement in seizure control with treatment of coexisting OSA, but published series did not sample a clinic population, were not prospective in design, and did not account for concurrent changes in antiepileptic drug (AED) doses or levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients and the parents of pediatric patients seen in the University of Michigan Epilepsy and Pediatric Neurology Clinics were given validated questionnaires. Thirteen adults (aged 20-56) and 5 children (aged 14-17) were selected for polysomnography (PSG) based on frequency of seizures and risk for OSA. Seizure frequency was compared during 8-week baseline and treatment phases and AED levels were done to document stability in medication levels. RESULTS: Six of 13 adults and 3 of 5 children met PSG criteria for OSA. Three adults and 1 child were treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), were tolerant of the device, and had no change in AED doses; all four had at least a 45% reduction in seizure frequency during CPAP treatment. One adult was treated with an oral appliance with a reduction in nocturnal seizures only, and 2 adults and 2 children were intolerant of CPAP. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of OSA in patients with epilepsy may improve seizure control and a large randomized placebo-controlled trial appear warranted.

Rhythmic movement disorder in children.

How should sleep-related rhythmic movements in children be assessed and treated? Rhythmic movement disorder (RMD) represents an unusual variety of childhood parasomnia characterized by repetitive motion of the head, trunk, or extremities, which usually occurs during the transition from wakefulness to sleep or arises during sustained sleep. Although the condition most often affects infants and toddlers in a transient and self-limited fashion, the condition occasionally persists in a problematic fashion, which may nevertheless be amenable to treatment. Since RMD may occasionally cause injury or resemble nocturnal seizure, prompt recognition, and appropriate management on the part of the clinician is essential. This article will examine the spectrum of RMD in children, including their common clinical manifestations; data regarding their epidemiology and natural history; the role of polysomnography, electroencephalography; and other diagnostic testing. Potential causes of the condition and available methods of treatment are also examined.

Effect of body position and sleep state on obstructive sleep apnea severity in children with Down syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of sleep position and sleep state on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity in in children with Down syndrome (DS). DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Sleep disorders laboratory of a tertiary medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Children with Down syndrome and typically developing children matched for age, gender, apneahypopnea index (AHI), and year of polysomnogram. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Sleep variables from baseline polysomnography. Sensor-recorded position (supine, prone, lateral) was expressed as the percentage of total sleep time. The AHI was calculated in each sleep state (NREM, REM), position, and position-sleep state combination. Of 76 DS subjects (55% male) the median age and AHI were 4.6 years (range 0.2-17.8 years) and 7.4 events/h (range 0-133). In all subjects, AHI was higher in REM than NREM (p < 0.05); however, the NREM AHI was higher in DS subjects than controls (p < 0.05). Compared to controls, the percentage of prone sleep was greater in DS subjects (p < 0.05), but the percentage of supine or non-supine (prone plus lateral) sleep was no different. For DS subjects alone, NREM AHI was higher in supine than non-supine sleep (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In DS and non-DS children alike, respiratory events are predominantly REM related. However, when matched for OSA severity, children with DS have a higher NREM AHI, which is worse in the supine position, perhaps indicating a positional effect compounded by underlying hypotonia inherent to DS. These findings illustrate the clinical importance of NREM respiratory events in the DS population and implications for treatment options.

Periodic leg movements during sleep in children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy: frequency, persistence, and impact.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and potential clinical impact of periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS), with or without arousals, as recorded incidentally from children before and after adenotonsillectomy (AT). METHODS: Children scheduled for AT for any clinical indications who participated in the Washtenaw County Adenotonsillectomy Cohort II were studied at enrollment and again 6 months thereafter. Assessments included laboratory-based polysomnography, a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), parent-completed behavioral rating scales, neuropsychological testing, and psychiatric evaluation. RESULTS: Participants included 144 children (81 boys) aged 3-12 years. Children generally showed mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (median respiratory disturbance index 4.5 (Q1 = 2.0, Q3 = 9.5)) at baseline, and 15 subjects (10%) had at least five periodic leg movements per hour of sleep (PLMI ≥ 5). After surgery, 21 (15%) of n = 137 subjects who had follow-up studies showed PLMI ≥ 5 (p = 0.0067). Improvements were noted after surgery in the respiratory disturbance index; insomnia symptoms; sleepiness symptoms; mean sleep latencies; hyperactive behavior; memory, learning, attention, and executive functioning on NEPSY assessments; and frequency of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (DSM-IV criteria). However, PLMI ≥ 5 failed to show associations with worse morbidity in these domains at baseline or follow-up. New appearance of PLMI ≥ 5 after surgery failed to predict worsening of these morbidities (all p > 0.05), with only one exception (NEPSY) where the magnitude of association was nonetheless negligible. Similar findings emerged for periodic leg movements with arousals (PLMAI ≥ 1). CONCLUSION: PLMS, with and without arousals, become more common after AT in children. However, results in this setting did not suggest substantial clinical impact.

Do respiratory cycle-related EEG changes or arousals from sleep predict neurobehavioral deficits and response to adenotonsillectomy in children?

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with hyperactive behavior, cognitive deficits, psychiatric morbidity, and sleepiness, but objective polysomnographic measures of OSA presence or severity among children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy have not explained why. To assess whether sleep fragmentation might explain neurobehavioral outcomes, we prospectively assessed the predictive value of standard arousals and also respiratory cycle-related EEG changes (RCREC), thought to reflect inspiratory microarousals. METHODS: Washtenaw County Adenotonsillectomy Cohort II participants included children (ages 3-12 years) scheduled for adenotonsillectomy, for any clinical indication. At enrollment and again 7.2 ± 0.9 (SD) months later, children had polysomnography, a multiple sleep latency test, parent-completed behavioral rating scales, cognitive testing, and psychiatric evaluation. The RCREC were computed as previously described for delta, theta, alpha, sigma, and beta EEG frequency bands. RESULTS: Participants included 133 children, 109 with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥ 1.5, mean 8.3 ± 10.6) and 24 without OSA (AHI 0.9 ± 0.3). At baseline, the arousal index and RCREC showed no consistent, significant associations with neurobehavioral morbidities, among all subjects or the 109 with OSA. At follow-up, the arousal index, RCREC, and neurobehavioral measures all tended to improve, but neither baseline measure of sleep fragmentation effectively predicted outcomes (all p > 0.05, with only scattered exceptions, among all subjects or those with OSA). CONCLUSION: Sleep fragmentation, as reflected by standard arousals or by RCREC, appears unlikely to explain neurobehavioral morbidity among children who undergo adenotonsillectomy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT00233194.

Sleep disorders in children.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to examine how sleep disorders in children are affected by age and comorbid medical influences, and to discuss current understanding of how the clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, and treatment of common childhood sleep disorders differ from those of the adult population. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently established age-specific norms are required for accurate interpretation of polysomnograms and multiple sleep latency tests in children. SUMMARY: Sleep disorders such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and excessive daytime somnolence are common in both children and adults, but the clinical manifestations and underlying pathophysiology of these disorders vary substantially with age. For example, the bedtime struggles of a temperamental toddler are associated with different symptoms and causative factors compared to psychophysiologic insomnia affecting a middle-aged person. Similarly, a 6-year-old child with obstructive sleep apnea is more likely to exhibit daytime inattention and hyperactivity as a referable daytime symptom than the clear-cut lethargy or sleepiness that most affected adults experience. This review will examine how insomnia, excessive sleepiness, and obstructive sleep apnea differ in children compared to adults.

Longer weekly sleep duration predicts greater 3-month BMI reduction among obese adolescents attending a clinical multidisciplinary weight management program.

AIMS: To determine whether baseline levels of self-reported sleep and sleep problems among obese adolescents referred to an outpatient multidisciplinary family-based weight management program predict reduction in BMI 3 months later. METHODS: A retrospective medical chart review was conducted for 83 obese adolescents. The following baseline variables were extracted: self-reported sleep duration (weekdays and weekends), and presence of snoring, daytime fatigue, suspected sleep apnea, and physician-diagnosed sleep apnea. Anthropometric data at baseline and 3 months were also collected. RESULTS: On average, adolescents reported significantly less sleeping on weeknights (7.7 ± 1.3 h) compared to weekend nights (10.0 ± 1.8 h), t(82) = 10.5, p = 0.0001. Reduction in BMI after 3 months of treatment was predicted by more weekly sleep at baseline (R² = 0.113, F(1, 80) = 10.2, p = 0.002). Adolescents who reduced their BMI by ≥1 kg/m² reported greater weekly sleep at baseline compared to adolescents who experienced <1 kg/m² reduction (60.7 ± 7.5 h vs. 56.4 ± 8.6 h; F(1, 80) = 5.7, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Findings from this study, though correlational, raise the possibility that increased duration of sleep may be associated with weight loss among obese adolescents enrolled in a weight management program. Evidence-based behavioral techniques to improve sleep hygiene and increase sleep duration should be explored in pediatric weight management settings.

Non-respiratory indications for polysomnography and related procedures in children: an evidence-based review.

OBJECTIVE: This evidence-based review provides a systematic and comprehensive review of the literature regarding the utility of polysomnography for the evaluation of non-respiratory sleep disorders in children including hypersomnias, parasomnias, sleep-related movement disorders, and sleep in other special populations. METHODS: A task force of pediatric sleep medicine experts performed a systematic review of the literature regarding the use of polysomnography for non-respiratory sleep disorders in children. They identified and graded 76 papers as evidence. RESULTS: The main results include (1) polysomnography combined with the multiple sleep latency test is useful for evaluating disorders of excessive somnolence to objectively quantify sleepiness. The results have to be interpreted with consideration of the pubertal stage and regularity of the sleep patterns of the child; (2) polysomnography is indicated in children with parasomnias or sleep related movement disorders who have a high likelihood of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); (3) polysomnography is not routinely indicated in children with enuresis unless there is a high likelihood of OSA; (4) polysomnography can be helpful in evaluating children with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and when periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is suspected. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, in children with non-respiratory sleep disorders, polysomnography should be a part of a comprehensive sleep evaluation in selected circumstances to determine the nature of the events in more detail or when the suspicion of OSA is relatively high.

Esophageal pressures, polysomnography, and neurobehavioral outcomes of adenotonsillectomy in children.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal pressure monitoring during polysomnography in children offers a gold-standard, "preferred" assessment for work of breathing, but is not commonly used in part because prospective data on incremental clinical utility are scarce. We compared a standard pediatric apnea/hypopnea index to quantitative esophageal pressures as predictors of apnea-related neurobehavioral morbidity and treatment response. METHODS: Eighty-one children aged 7.8 ± 2.8 (SD) years, including 44 boys, had traditional laboratory-based pediatric polysomnography, esophageal pressure monitoring, multiple sleep latency tests, psychiatric evaluations, parental behavior rating scales, and cognitive testing, all just before clinically indicated adenotonsillectomy, and again 7.2 ± 0.8 months later. Esophageal pressures were used, along with nasal pressure monitoring and oronasal thermocouples, not only to identify respiratory events but also more quantitatively to determine the most negative esophageal pressure recorded and the percentage of sleep time spent with pressures lower than -10 cm H(2)O. RESULTS: Both sleep-disordered breathing and neurobehavioral measures improved after surgery. At baseline, one or both quantitative esophageal pressure measures predicted a disruptive behavior disorder (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-defined attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder) and more sleepiness and their future improvement after adenotonsillectomy (each P < .05). The pediatric apnea/hypopnea index did not predict these morbidities or treatment outcomes (each P > .10). The addition of respiratory effort-related arousals to the apnea/hypopnea index did not improve its predictive value. Neither the preoperative apnea/hypopnea index nor esophageal pressures predicted baseline hyperactive behavior, cognitive performance, or their improvement after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative esophageal pressure monitoring may add predictive value for some, if not all, neurobehavioral outcomes of sleep-disordered breathing.

Aggressive behavior, bullying, snoring, and sleepiness in schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: To assess whether urban schoolchildren with aggressive behavior are more likely than peers to have symptoms suggestive of sleep-disordered breathing. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of sleep and behavior in schoolchildren. Validated screening assessments for conduct problems (Connor's rating scale), bullying behavior, and sleep-disordered breathing (pediatric sleep questionnaire) were completed by parents. Teachers completed Connor's teacher rating scale. RESULTS: Among 341 subjects (51% female), 110 (32%) were rated by a parent or teacher as having a conduct problem (T-score ⩾65) and 78 (23%) had symptoms suggestive of sleep-disordered breathing. Children with conduct problems, bullying, or discipline referrals, in comparison to non-aggressive peers, more often had symptoms suggestive of sleep-disordered breathing (each p<0.05). Children with vs. without conduct problems were more likely to snore habitually (p<0.5). However, a sleepiness subscale alone, and not a snoring subscale, predicted conduct problems after accounting for age, gender, a measure of socioeconomic status, and stimulant use. CONCLUSIONS: Urban schoolchildren with aggressive behaviors may have symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing with disproportionate frequency. Sleepiness may impair emotional regulation necessary to control aggression.

Executive summary of respiratory indications for polysomnography in children: an evidence-based review.

OBJECTIVE: This comprehensive, evidence-based review provides a systematic analysis of the literature regarding the validity, reliability, and clinical utility of polysomnography for characterizing breathing during sleep in children. Findings serve as the foundation of practice parameters regarding respiratory indications for polysomnography in children. METHODS: A task force of content experts performed a systematic review of the relevant literature and graded the evidence using a standardized grading system. Two hundred forty-three evidentiary papers were reviewed, summarized, and graded. The analysis addressed the operating characteristics of polysomnography as a diagnostic procedure in children and identified strengths and limitations of polysomnography for evaluation of respiratory function during sleep. RESULTS: The analysis documents strong face validity and content validity, moderately strong convergent validity when comparing respiratory findings with a variety of relevant independent measures, moderate-to-strong test-retest validity, and limited data supporting discriminant validity for characterizing breathing during sleep in children. The analysis documents moderate-to-strong test-retest reliability and interscorer reliability based on limited data. The data indicate particularly strong clinical utility in children with suspected sleep related breathing disorders and obesity, evolving metabolic syndrome, neurological, neurodevelopmental, or genetic disorders, and children with craniofacial syndromes. Specific consideration was given to clinical utility of polysomnography prior to adenotonsillectomy (AT) for confirmation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The most relevant findings include: (1) recognition that clinical history and examination are often poor predictors of respiratory polygraphic findings, (2) preoperative polysomnography is helpful in predicting risk for perioperative complications, and (3) preoperative polysomnography is often helpful in predicting persistence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in patients after AT. No prospective studies were identified that address whether clinical outcome following AT for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is improved in association with routine performance of polysomnography before surgery in otherwise healthy children. A small group of papers confirm the clinical utility of polysomnography for initiation and titration of positive airway pressure support. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric polysomnography shows validity, reliability, and clinical utility that is commensurate with most other routinely employed diagnostic clinical tools or procedures. Findings indicate that the "gold standard" for diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders in children is not polysomnography alone, but rather the skillful integration of clinical and polygraphic findings by a knowledgeable sleep specialist. Future developments will provide more sophisticated methods for data collection and analysis, but integration of polysomnographic findings with the clinical evaluation will represent the fundamental diagnostic challenge for the sleep specialist.

Sleep disorders in children.

Although sleep disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are common in both children and adults, the clinical features and treatments for these conditions differ considerably between these two populations. Whereas an adult with obstructive sleep apnea typically presents with a history of obesity, snoring, and prominent daytime somnolence, a child with the condition is more likely to present with normal body weight, tonsillar hypertrophy, and inattentiveness during school classes. The adult with suspected sleep apnea almost always undergoes a baseline polysomnogram and proceeds to treatment only if this test confirms the diagnosis, while many children with suspected sleep apnea are treated empirically with adenotonsillectomy without ever receiving a sleep study to verify the diagnosis. This article reviews sleep disorders in children, with a particular focus on age-related changes in sleep, conditions that primarily affect children, and disorders for which clinical manifestations and treatment differ substantially from the adult population.

Obstructive sleep apnea in children.

Despite increasing recognition of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) as a significant public health problem, treatment of the condition remains inconsistent. Some children are screened using polysomnography and treated only when objective respiratory disturbances are identified. Many others receive adenotonsillectomy based only on signs and symptoms of upper airway obstruction without ever having a formal sleep study. Outcome-based data regarding the effectiveness of adenotonsillectomy, continuous positive airway pressure, and other treatments for childhood OSAS remain extremely limited. In this article, the major therapeutic options for treatment of childhood OSAS are reviewed. Adenotonsillectomy remains the most frequently used treatment for uncomplicated OSAS in children, but residual airway obstruction persists in a notable minority of patients. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure is used for children who are not good surgical candidates or who have failed previous surgical treatment, but is sometimes not tolerated by young children or their parents. Various alternative treatments are used on an individualized basis for children who cannot use the two first-line therapies for sleep apnea.