Abstract
Introduction
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has been associated with impaired cognitive and behavioural function in school children; little is known about younger children, although the age of 3 to 5 years is more affected and it is particularly important to further neurobehavioral development.
Aim and objectives
To assess cognitive functions in preschool children affected by SDB.
Methods
We enrolled 58 preschool children (age ranged 3-6 years; mean age 4.36 ± 0.97; 50% male) attending our Paediatric Sleep Centre and receiving a polysomnographic diagnosis of Primary Snoring (PS) or Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA). Children with psychiatric disorders, EEG abnormalities, epilepsy, genetic syndromes and unable to speak fluent Italian were excluded. All children underwent a neurocognitive assessment using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence- Third Edition (WPPSI-III).
Results
28 children received diagnosis of PS or mild OSA (mean Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) 2.56 ± 1.21) and 30 moderate-severe OSA (mean AHI 14.49 ± 11.7). In both groups, the cognitive assessment showed high scores on Verbal IQ (109.24 ± 11.78 vs 111.55 ± 12.25), Performance IQ (111.2 ± 10.75 vs 111.38 ± 11.01), and Full IQ (111.68 ± 11.06 vs 113.55 ± 12.88), without any statistical differences.
Conclusions
SDB of any severity in preschool children is not associated with poorer cognitive performance; therefore it could be argued that short duration of SDB don't cause neurocognitive damage. Further studies on larger series of children are warranted to confirm our preliminary data and to compare our results with cognitive assessment in a control group.
- © 2014 ERS
