Periodic limb movements during sleep in stroke/TIA: Prevalence, course, and cardiovascular burden

OBJECTIVE

To define the prevalence, time course, and associated factors of periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA.

METHODS

Patients enrolled in the prospective Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Transient Ischemia Attack (TIA)/Ischemic Stroke and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Treatment Efficacy (SAS-CARE) study underwent a double polysomnographic investigation in the acute and chronic phases after stroke/TIA, together with a MRI brain scan and a 24-hour blood pressure evaluation. The prevalence of PLMS in patients was compared with that in a matched sample of randomly selected healthy controls from the HypnoLaus cohort. One hundred sixty-nine recordings were performed in the acute phase and 191 after 3 months (210 recordings were obtained from the same 105 patients in both phases) and were compared to those of 162 controls.

RESULTS

The mean number of PLMS per hour and the percentage of participants with a PLMS index >10 and >15 per hour were similar between patients and controls. PLMS remained stable from the acute to the chronic phase after stroke. Factors positively associated with PLMS were age, body mass index, and history of hypertension. Blood pressure over 24 hours and the burden of cerebrovascular damage were similar between the groups with PLMS and without PLMS.

CONCLUSIONS

PLMS are equally frequent in patients with stroke/TIA and the general population. The absence of higher blood pressure values and of a greater vascular brain damage found in patients with PLMS compared to those without PLMS might be due to a greater use of antihypertensive medication among patients with PLMS, which corresponds to a higher prevalence of previous diagnosis of hypertension in these patients.

ERS statement on obstructive sleep disordered breathing in 1- to 23-month-old children

The present statement was produced by a European Respiratory Society Task Force to summarise the evidence and current practice on the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children aged 1-23 months. A systematic literature search was completed and 159 articles were summarised to answer clinically relevant questions. SDB is suspected when symptoms or abnormalities related to upper airway obstruction are identified. Morbidity (pulmonary hypertension, growth delay, behavioural problems) and coexisting conditions (feeding difficulties, recurrent otitis media) may be present. SDB severity is measured objectively, preferably by polysomnography, or alternatively polygraphy or nocturnal oximetry. Children with apparent upper airway obstruction during wakefulness, those with abnormal sleep study in combination with SDB symptoms (e.g. snoring) and/or conditions predisposing to SDB (e.g. mandibular hypoplasia) as well as children with SDB and complex conditions (e.g. Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome) will benefit from treatment. Adenotonsillectomy and continuous positive airway pressure are the most frequently used treatment measures along with interventions targeting specific conditions (e.g. supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia or nasopharyngeal airway for mandibular hypoplasia). Hence, obstructive SDB in children aged 1-23 months is a multifactorial disorder that requires objective assessment and treatment of all underlying abnormalities that contribute to upper airway obstruction during sleep.

Sleep-Related Rhythmic Movement Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Five Adult Patients

ABSTRACT

Sleep-related rhythmic movements (SRRMs) are typical in infancy and childhood, where they usually occur at the wake-to-sleep transition. However, they have rarely been observed in adults, where they can be idiopathic or associated with other sleep disorders including sleep apnea. We report a case series of 5 adults with sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder, 4 of whom had a previous history of SRRMs in childhood. SRRMs mostly occurred in consolidated sleep, in association with pathological respiratory events, predominantly longer ones, especially during stage R sleep, and recovered in 1 patient with continuous positive airway pressure therapy. We hypothesize that sleep apneas may act as a trigger of rhythmic motor events through a respiratory-related arousal mechanism in genetically predisposed subjects.

Adenotonsillectomy to treat obstructive sleep apnea: Is it enough?

Although adenotonsillectomy is the first line treatment for children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (0SAS),¹ improvement in objectively documented outcomes is often inadequate and a substantial number of children have residual disease. Early recognition and treatment of children with persistent OSAS is required to prevent long-term morbidity. The management of these children is frequently complex and a multidisciplinary approach is required as most of them have additional risk factors for OSAS and comorbidities. In this paper, we first provide an overview of children at risk for persistent disease following adenotonsillectomy. Thereafter, we discuss different diagnostic modalities to evaluate the sites of persistent upper airway obstruction and the currently available treatment options. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:699-709. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How do we recognize the child with OSAS?

Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing includes a spectrum of clinical entities with variable severity ranging from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The clinical suspicion for OSAS is most often raised by parental report of specific symptoms and/or abnormalities identified by the physical examination which predispose to upper airway obstruction (e.g., adenotonsillar hypertrophy, obesity, craniofacial abnormalities, neuromuscular disorders). Symptoms and signs of OSAS are classified into those directly related to the intermittent pharyngeal airway obstruction (e.g., parental report of snoring, apneic events) and into morbidity resulting from the upper airway obstruction (e.g., increased daytime sleepiness, hyperactivity, poor school performance, inadequate somatic growth rate or enuresis). History of premature birth and a family history of OSAS as well as obesity and African American ethnicity are associated with increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing in childhood. Polysomnography is the gold standard method for the diagnosis of OSAS but may not be always feasible, especially in low-income countries or non-tertiary hospitals. Nocturnal oximetry and/or sleep questionnaires may be used to identify the child at high risk of OSAS when polysomnography is not an option. Endoscopy and MRI of the upper airway may help to identify the level(s) of upper airway obstruction and to evaluate the dynamic mechanics of the upper airway, especially in children with combined abnormalities. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:260-271. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sleep-Related Disorders in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Preliminary Results of a Full Sleep Assessment Study

BACKGROUND AND METHODS

We present the preliminary results of a prospective case-control sleep study in children with a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A deep sleep assessment including sleep questionnaires, sleep habits, a video-polysomnographic recording with full high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and cardiorespiratory polygraphy, multiple sleep latency test, and 1-week actigraphic recording were performed to verify whether children with ADHD may be classified into one of the following five phenotypes: (1) hypoarousal state, resembling narcolepsy, which may be considered a "primary" form of ADHD; (2) delayed sleep onset insomnia; (3) sleep-disordered breathing; (4) restless legs syndrome and/or periodic limb movements; and (5) sleep epilepsy and/or EEG interictal epileptiform discharges.

RESULTS

Fifteen consecutive outpatients with ADHD were recruited (two female, mean age 10.6 ± 2.2, age range 8-13.7 years) over 6 months. The narcolepsy-like sleep phenotype was observed in three children, the sleep onset insomnia phenotype was observed in one child, mild obstructive sleep apnea was observed in three children, sleep hyperkinesia and/or PLMs were observed in five children, while IEDs and or nocturnal epilepsy were observed in three children. Depending on the sleep phenotype, children received melatonin, iron supplementation, antiepileptic drugs, or stimulants.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study further highlights the need to design an efficient sleep diagnostic algorithm for children with ADHD, thereby more accurately identifying cases in which a full sleep assessment is indicated.

Obstructive sleep disordered breathing in 2- to 18-year-old children: diagnosis and management

This document summarises the conclusions of a European Respiratory Society Task Force on the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in childhood and refers to children aged 2-18 years. Prospective cohort studies describing the natural history of SDB or randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials regarding its management are scarce. Selected evidence (362 articles) can be consolidated into seven management steps. SDB is suspected when symptoms or abnormalities related to upper airway obstruction are present (step 1). Central nervous or cardiovascular system morbidity, growth failure or enuresis and predictors of SDB persistence in the long-term are recognised (steps 2 and 3), and SDB severity is determined objectively preferably using polysomnography (step 4). Children with an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) >5 episodes·h(-1), those with an AHI of 1-5 episodes·h(-1) and the presence of morbidity or factors predicting SDB persistence, and children with complex conditions (e.g. Down syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome) all appear to benefit from treatment (step 5). Treatment interventions are usually implemented in a stepwise fashion addressing all abnormalities that predispose to SDB (step 6) with re-evaluation after each intervention to detect residual disease and to determine the need for additional treatment (step 7).

Impact of obesity on cognitive outcome in children with sleep-disordered breathing

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of obesity on cognitive impairment, in children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), children with OSA and obesity, and in normal controls.

METHODS

Thirty-six children with OSA (group 1), 38 children with OSA and obesity (group 2) and 58 normal controls (group 3) were studied. The Total intelligence quotient (T-IQ), Verbal IQ (V-IQ) and the Performance IQ (P-IQ) scores were obtained using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition Revised. All participants' parents filled out the questionnaire containing the attention deficit and hyperactive disorder rating scale to investigate symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficit. Obese and non-obese children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) underwent polysomnography.

RESULTS

T-QI and P-QI scores were significantly lower in group 2 with higher performance impairment at the subtest compared to other groups. In obese children, V-IQ was significantly correlated with age of onset (r = 0.335, p = 0.05) and duration of SDB (r = -0.362, p = 0.02), while P-IQ and T-IQ were correlated with body mass index (BMI) percentile (r = -0.341, p = 0.03) and respiratory disturbance index (RDI) (r = -0.321, p = 0.05), respectively. RDI and BMI negatively influenced T-IQ in obese children with OSA. No correlation was found between sleep parameters and IQ scores or subtest scores in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Obese children with OSA showed higher cognitive impairment. Obesity has an additive and synergic action with that exerted by OSA, speeding up the onset of complications.

Epilepsy and sleep-disordered breathing as false friends: a case report

Because signs of nocturnal seizures can overlap with sleep respiratory events, clinicians can have difficulty distinguishing abnormal events related to sleep disorders from epileptic seizures. We describe the case of a 3-year-old child presenting with ictal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity associated with a particular form of atypical obstructive sleep apnea, characterized by increased respiratory rate, paradoxical breathing, desaturations, and tonic-dystonic posture associated with movement artifacts. Following cardiorespiratory polysomnography, the patient was initially misdiagnosed as having severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Pediatric insomnia: clinical, diagnosis, and treatment

Pediatric insomnia is an extrinsic sleep disorder subdivided into two categories: behavioral insomnia and insomnia related to medical, neurological, and psychiatric diseases. This review will cover several types of insomnia, comorbidities and specific pediatric therapies according to clinical characteristics and age. Behavioral insomnia should be differentiated from pediatric insomnia due to medical conditions, mostly occurring during the first year of life. Multiple night awakenings and diurnal hypersomnolence are strong indicators of insomnia due to medical conditions. Insomnia during adolescence and pediatric insomnia associated with psychiatric comorbidity, cognitive disabilities and epilepsy, will be discussed in terms of diagnosis, clinical features and implications for treatment.

Abstract P6-08-14: Meeting needs and expectations of breast cancer survivors: Learning from patients through a survey method

Introduction: Oncology patients have many needs throughout the care continuum. Identification of the most salient needs is critical in program planning in an environment where resources are limited. Choices for programming should be based on information regarding survivors’ perceived needs and their usage of services provided by the cancer center and in the community. We developed a survey to assess needs of patients seen at our Cancer Center. The purpose of the project was to establish the feasibility of the method in the population, identify needs, use these as a basis to develop programs to meet the needs, and establish a baseline for future needs assessments.

Methods: Previous U.S. cancer patient needs surveys were used as a background to create survey questions for cancer survivors using a quality of life framework. The scope of the survey was expanded based on feedback from Cancer Center leaders and Patent and Family Advisory Committee members. IRB approval was obtained and surveys were mailed to patients seen within 2 years at our sites. After eliciting demographic data, questions sought information about the performance of the cancer team and patient preferences for learning styles and what resources were used. Patients were asked by whom they preferred follow-up care to be given. Specific questions on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual effects of cancer were sought. Breast cancer respondents were compared to respondents with other types of cancer.

Results: 1005 of 2750 (37%) mailed surveys were returned; 518 (51.5%) were from breast cancer survivors. Of the breast cancer survivors, mean age was 64 (range 30-94); 82% were Caucasian, 15% African-American; 62% were married; 50% were retired; 24% remained on treatment, 14% <2 years, 29% 2-5 years, 33% >5 years after treatment. Slightly more than half used non-hospital (57%) or hospital (54%) resources. Most commonly used non-hospital resource was internet (34%); most commonly used hospital resource was information from the health care team (36%). One year after treatment 90% preferred follow-up care from primary oncology team (vs. primary care physician or other). While there was concordance that “attention to my physical needs” was excellent for 76% and this was “important” for 94%, only 46% rated “attention to my emotional needs” as excellent with this was “important” for 84%. Fear of cancer recurrence was the greatest concern for patients and had not significantly resolved for the respondents >5 years after treatment. Breast cancer patients differed significantly from patients with other types of cancer having less fatigue (p<0.001), more issues with sexual intimacy (p = 0.001), more interest in obtaining genetic counseling (p = 0.001) and more fear of developing a new cancer (p = 0.01).

Conclusions: This method of assessment was feasible (with a project cost of $7000), was completed in two years and can be used as a baseline. As a result of this survey our Cancer Center created an educational print resource describing our supportive oncology programs, implemented an end of treatment distress screening tool piloted with breast cancer patients, and provided staff education regarding patient needs and intervention tools.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P6-08-14.

The cooccurrence of interictal discharges and seizures in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing

Studies in the literature data have shown that the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with epilepsy is high and that treatment for OSA leads to a reduction in the number of seizures; by contrast, few studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) or epilepsy in children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The aim of the present study was to confirm the high prevalence of IEDs or epilepsy in a large sample of children with SDB and to collect follow-up data. Children were recruited prospectively and underwent their first video-polysomnography (video-PSG) for SDB in a teaching hospital sleep center. Of the 298 children who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for sleep-disordered breathing, 48 (16.1%) children were found to have IEDs, three of these 48 children were also found to have nocturnal seizures (two females diagnosed with rolandic epilepsy and a male diagnosed with frontal lobe epilepsy). Only 11 subjects underwent a second video-PSG after 6months; at the second video-PSG, the IEDs had disappeared in six subjects, who also displayed a reduced AHI and an increased mean overnight saturation. Thirty-eight of the 250 children without IEDs underwent a second video-PSG after 6months. Of these 250 children, four, who did not display any improvement in the respiratory parameters and were found to experience numerous stereotyped movements during sleep, were diagnosed with nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. Our study confirms the high prevalence of IEDs in children with SDB. Follow-up data indicate that they may recede over time, accompanied by an improvement of sleep respiratory parameters.

Case reports of sleep phenotypes of ADHD: from hypothesis to clinical practice

OBJECTIVE

Five sleep ADHD phenotypes have been hypothesized: (a) the hypo-arousal state of the "primary" form of ADHD, (b) the sleep phase advanced disorder, (c) sleep disordered breathing (SDB), (d) restless legs syndrome and/or periodic limb movements disorder (PLMD), and (e) epilepsy.

METHOD

Five case reports are presented; each child but one underwent video-polysomnography.

RESULTS

The first case report is an example of ADHD and SDB, with improvement of hypersomnolence after resolution of sleep apnea. The second case shows the impact of delayed sleep onset latency in the pathogenesis of ADHD, and the efficacy of melatonin. The third case report describes the association with PLMD, with amelioration after iron supplementation. The other two cases are examples of ADHD and epilepsy, with clinical improvement after antiepileptic treatment was started.

CONCLUSION

A diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm should be designed to find the best first-line treatment for ADHD and sleep problems/epilepsy.

Outcomes after tongue-lip adhesion or mandibular distraction osteogenesis in infants with Pierre Robin sequence and severe airway obstruction

The objective was to review and compare outcomes after tongue-lip adhesion (TLA) and mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) in infants with severe breathing difficulties related to Pierre Robin sequence (PRS). A single-centre retrospective (2002-2012) study was carried out; 18 infants with severe breathing difficulties related to PRS resistant to conservative treatment, who underwent TLA or MDO to correct airway obstruction, were enrolled. The primary outcome measures were successful weaning from respiratory support and resumption of full oral feeding. Nine underwent TLA and nine MDO. Eight of the nine infants who underwent MDO and all those treated with TLA were successfully weaned from respiratory support. After discharge, residual respiratory distress was diagnosed more commonly after TLA than after MDO (6/9 vs 1/9, P=0.050). Infants resumed oral feeding sooner after MDO than after TLA (mean days after surgery to full oral feeds 44±24 vs 217±134, P<0.003). The length of hospital stay was longer for infants treated with MDO than for those treated with TLA. The rate of complications was similar. Infants with severe airway obstruction related to PRS can benefit safely from either TLA or MDO. Although MDO lengthens the time to discharge, this option stabilizes airway patency of infants with PRS more efficiently and achieves full oral feeding more rapidly than TLA.

Migraine and periodic limb movement disorders in sleep in children: a preliminary case-control study

BACKGROUND

The relationships between sleep and headaches are complex and manifold. About the variety of phenomena that can disrupt the sleep macrostructure and can impact its restorative function, the periodic limb movements disorder (PLMd) can be considered as the most powerful.No studies are known about the role of PLMd in the pathophysiology of migraine in children.Aim of study is to assess the prevalence of PLMd and migraine and their relationship with disability and pain intensity in a pediatric sample, referred for migraine without aura by pediatricians.

METHODS

After a preliminary sleep habits screening with the Sleep Disturbances Scale for Children, 34 migraine subjects affected by migraine without aura (20 M, 14 F) (mean age 9.08; SD ± 2.28) and 51 volunteers healthy children (28 M, 23 F) (mean age 9.37; SD ± 1.81) accepted to underwent overnight PSG recordings in the Sleep Laboratory of the Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, in order to define the macrostructural sleep characteristics and the prevalence of PLMd. Subsequently, the migraineurs sample was studied in order to define the relationship between disability, pain intensity, therapeutical responsiveness and the presence of PLMd.

RESULTS

In the migraineurs children group, the individuals with PLM pathological index (PLMI ≥ 5) represent the 26.47% of sample and present higher frequency (p < 0.001), intensity (p < 0.001), duration (p = 0.006) and life impairment as scored in the PedMIDAS (p < 0.001) of headache and lower efficacy of prophylactic (p = 0.001) and acute (p = 0.006) pharmacological treatment than MoA children without PLM pathological index.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study indicates the potential value of the determination of the PLMd signs, and the importance of the PSG evaluation in children affected by migraine, particularly when the clinical and pharmacological management tend to fail in the attacks control.

[Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy is often misdiagnosed as sleep disorders in children: a case series]

INTRODUCTION. We present a series of children who underwent a video-polysomnographic recording at our Sleep and Epilepsy Unit, who received a diagnosis of nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE). AIMS. To describe electroclinical and video polygraphic features of paediatric NFLE that differentiate this condition from other sleep disorders that overlap and mimic the sleep motor and autonomic events of NFLE. PATIENTS AND METHODS. The inclusion criterion was that the patients have their first video-EEG-PSG recording in our laboratory. RESULTS. Twenty-four out of 190 children were diagnosed with NFLE (group 1); while 166 had other sleep disorders (group 2). Among children diagnosed with NFLE, seven were referred for sleep-disordered breathing, seven for parasomnias, two for insomnia, two for hypersomnia, and one for periodic limb movements, while five were referred for epilepsy. In group 1, perinatal history was normal in most cases (21 out of 24) and a familiar history of epilepsy was found in four cases. Sleep-disordered breathing was diagnosed as a comorbid condition in four children. Standard EEG was normal in 21 cases. Interictal EEG showed epileptic discharges in four cases, while ictal EEG was expressed by a rhythmic theta activity preceded by an arousal and/or a short background desynchronization, movement artifacts, and autonomic changes. All seizures, repeated highly stereotyped motor events, were followed by stage shifts and/or a postural change and, by short awakenings. CONCLUSIONS. We found a high percentage of children with NFLE, often misdiagnosed or associated with other sleep disorders, which may be a trigger for nocturnal seizures.

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis for neonates with Pierre Robin sequence and airway obstruction

Neonates with Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) usually present with varying degrees of upper airway obstruction and difficulty feeding. Early treatment is important for such children in order to prevent impaired cognitive development resulting from hypoxemic episodes. Various procedures aimed at widening the pharyngeal space have been proposed, including prone position, tongue-lip adhesion, mandibular traction, non-invasive ventilation and palatal plates. Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) using external or internal devices has become increasingly popular as an alternative treatment option when other medical or surgical techniques do not prove to be satisfactory. This review summarizes current evidence on the effectiveness of MDO in infants with PRS. Because of a lack of studies comparing this treatment with other procedures, general recommendations cannot be drawn and treatment of infants with PRS still requires individualization.