Sleep-disordered breathing and reaction time in children

BACKGROUND: The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children exceeds the availability of polysomnography (PSG) to definitively diagnose OSA and identify children at higher risk of perioperative complications. As sleep deficits are associated with slower reaction times (RTs), measuring RT may be a cost-effective approach to objectively identify SDB symptoms. AIM: The aim of this study is to compare RT on a standard 10-minute psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) based on children’s history of OSA/SDB. METHODS: Children, 6–11 years of age, were enrolled from two different clinical groups. The SDB group included children undergoing adenotonsillectomy with a clinical history of SDB, OSA, or snoring. The control group included children with no history of SDB, OSA, or snoring who were scheduled for surgery other than adenotonsillectomy. RT was measured via 10-minute PVT (Ambulatory Monitoring Inc., Ardsley, NY, USA). Median RT was calculated for each patient based on all responses to stimuli during the PVT assessment and was compared to published age-sex-specific norms. The proportion of children exceeding RT norms was compared between study groups. RESULTS: The study included 72 patients (36/36 male/female, median age 7 years), 46 with SDB and 26 without SDB. There was no difference in the RT between the two groups. Fifty-four percent of patients with SDB exceeded norms for median RT vs 42% of control patients (95% CI of difference: – 12, 36; P=0.326). CONCLUSION: Approximately half of the patients in both groups exceeded published norms for median RT on PVT. Despite its convenience, measurement of RT did not distinguish between patients with probable SDB/OSA for preoperative risk stratification.