The high quality of data collected in TuCASA demonstrates that multi-channel polysomnography data can be successfully obtained in children aged 5-12 years in an unattended setting under a research protocol.

We examined the relationship between nocturnal respiratory disturbance and learning and compared learning in children with and without nocturnal respiratory disturbance. Subjects were 149 participants in a prospective cohort study examining sleep in children ages 6-12: The Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea study (TuCASA). Sleep was assessed via home polysomnography. Intelligence, learning and memory, and academic achievement were assessed. Parents rated attention. Group comparisons were used to test the hypothesis that the group with an apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) of 5 or more (n = 77) would have weaker performance than the group with AHI less than 5 (n = 72). The group with AHI of 5 or more had weaker learning and memory though differences between groups decreased when arousals were taken into account. There was a greater percentage of Stage 1 sleep in the AHI 5 or more group, and Stage 1 percentage was negatively related to learning and memory in the sample (n = 149). There were negative relationships between AHI and immediate recall, Full Scale IQ, Performance IQ, and math achievement. Hypoxemia was associated with lower Performance IQ. Thus, findings suggest that nocturnal respiratory disturbance is associated with decreased learning in otherwise healthy children, that sleep fragmentation adversely impacts learning and memory, and that hypoxemia adversely influences nonverbal skills.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:To our knowledge, no published studies have examined whole-brain regional differences to identify more discrete volumetric changes in the brains of childhood leukemia survivors. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to examine regional gray and white matter differences in a group of long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) compared with a group of healthy controls. Differences in regional white matter volume were expected, given previous reports of white matter changes during treatment for ALL and reduced brain white matter volumes in long-term survivors. Follow-up analyses examined the relationship of regional brain volumes to cognitive function.

Background: Recent studies in children have demonstrated that frequent occurrence of parasomnias is related to increased sleep disruption, mental disorders, physical harm, sleep disordered breathing, and parental duress. Although there have been several cross-sectional and clinical studies of parasomnias in children, there have been no large, population-based studies using full polysomnography to examine the association between parasomnias and sleep disordered breathing. The Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea study is a community-based cohort study designed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of objectively measured sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in preadolescent children six to 11 years of age. This paper characterizes the relationships between parasomnias and SDB with its associated symptoms in these children.