CEREBRAL IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD SLEEP APNEA

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Obstructive sleep apnea, a prevalent public health problem, can cause neuropsychological disturbances. Multiple studies in adults have documented the association of sleep apnea with abnormalities of memory, attention, and executive functions of the frontal system. Small numbers of studies in children have demonstrated effects of apnea on IQ, attention, behavior, memory, and learning. The level of severity of sleep apnea, and the polysomnographic parameter abnormalities that cause neuropsychological disturbances in children is unknown. Adults with severe obstructive sleep apnea may have permanent cognitive impairment, especially involving memory. In fact, there is evidence of cerebral impairment as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI) in adults with moderate-severe sleep apnea. The impact of sleep apnea on the brain has not been investigated in children. It is unknown if neuropsychological dysfunction correlates with cerebral damage in sleep apnea patients. There is a need to define the neuropsychological and central nervous system outcomes of obstructive sleep apnea in children. The purpose of this pilot study is to identify whether sleep apnea is associated with cerebral impairment. Our goals with future funding are to determine the cerebral impact of mild sleep apnea, whether cerebral impact of apnea changes with age, and whether the cerebral impact of apnea is reversible.