Opposite Impact of REM Sleep on Neurobehavioral Functioning in Children with Common Psychiatric Disorders Compared to Typically Developing Children

Abstract

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been shown to be related to many adaptive cognitive and behavioral functions. However, its precise functions are still elusive, particularly in developmental psychiatric disorders. The present study aims at investigating associations between polysomnographic (PSG) REM sleep measurements and neurobehavioral functions in children with common developmental psychiatric conditions compared to typically developing children (TDC). Twenty-four children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 21 with Tourette syndrome/tic disorder (TD), 21 with ADHD/TD comorbidity, and 22 TDC, matched for age and gender, underwent a two-night PSG, and their psychopathological scores and intelligence quotient (IQ) were assessed. Major PSG findings showed more REM sleep and shorter REM latency in the children with psychiatric disorders than in the TDC. Multiple regression analyses revealed that in groups with developmental psychopathology, REM sleep proportion correlated positively with scores of inattention and negatively with performance IQ. In contrast, in the group of TDC, REM sleep proportion correlated negatively with scores of inattention and positively with performance IQ. Whilst shorter REM latency was associated with greater inattention scores in children with psychopathology, no such an association existed in the group of TDC. Altogether, these results indicate an opposite impact of REM sleep on neurobehavioral functioning, related to presence or absence of developmental psychiatric disorders. Our findings suggest that during development, REM sleep functions may interact dissimilarly with different pathways of brain maturation.

<p>Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder: clinical correlates and the impact of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</p>

“…A study conducted by Brand et al showed that poor sleep might lead to worsened emotional competence in adolescents 32. A recent study indicated an opposite effect of rapid eye movement sleep on neurobehavioral functioning and procedural intelligence, depending on presence or absence of a spectrum of child psychiatric disorders 33. In another study, Schneider et al suggested that although sleep problems were common in young children with ADHD, inattention and executive dysfunction appeared to be attributable to symptoms of ADHD, rather than to sleep disturbance 34.…”

A Cross-Syndrome Comparison of Sleep-Dependent Learning on a Cognitive Procedural Task

“…Nonetheless, individuals with WS also have reduced REM sleep (Gombos et al, 2011), but did show a sleep-dependent improvement. Indeed, differences in the role that REM sleep plays in neurobehavioural function for children with developmental psychiatric disorders relative to TD have recently been reported (Kirov, Brand, Banaschewski, & Rothenberger, 2017). This warrants further investigation in children with DS and WS, including how sleep-dependent changes at a neural level translate to behavioural outcomes.…”

Current behavioral assessments of movement disorders in children

“…The TSSS is considered reliable and valid and is therefore used in interventional studies of TS . Despite the compact and simple nature of the TSSS, however, it provides a weak evaluation of tic severity . The Tourette's Disorder Scale (TODS) can be used by either a clinician (TODS‐CR) or a parent (TODS‐PR) .…”

“…6 Despite the compact and simple nature of the TSSS, however, it provides a weak evaluation of tic severity. 49,50 The Tourette's Disorder Scale (TODS) can be used by either a clinician (TODS-CR) or a parent (TODS-PR). 51 This concise scale includes 15 items, with scores ranging from 0 (no tics) to 10 (severe), and was shown to be valid and reliable.…”