Health-related quality of life in Canadian children with cerebral palsy: what role does sleep play?

Investigating physiological symptoms associated with mental health symptoms in youth with cerebral palsy: An observational study

Over 50 % of children and youth with cerebral palsy (CP) experience mental health challenges, with anxiety and depression most common. Youth with CP also experience several physiological symptoms such as fatigue, pain, sedentary lifestyle, and sleep disturbances that impact their daily living; however, little is known about the impact of these symptoms on mental health outcomes in these youth. This study addressed this gap and examined the individual and cumulative impacts of physiological symptoms on anxiety and depression symptoms in youth with CP. Forty youth with CP aged 8 to 18 years, and their caregiver, participated in this cross-sectional observational study. Pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were measured using caregiver- and self-reported questionnaires and participants wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days, providing non-invasive physical activity and sleep pattern data. Youth with CP experienced substantial physiological symptoms and elevated anxiety and depression symptoms. Linear regression models determined that all physiological factors were predictive of caregiver-reported youth anxiety (R2 = 0.23) and youth depressive symptoms (R2 = 0.48). Fatigue, pain severity, sleep efficiency, and physical activity outcomes individually and cumulatively contributed to caregiver-reported youth anxiety and depression symptoms. These findings highlight the important role of physiological symptoms as potential risk factors and potential targets for intervention for mental health issues for in youth with CP.

Accelerometer-measured physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep in children with cerebral palsy and their adherence to the 24-hour activity guidelines

AIM

To measure and describe the 24-hour activities (i.e. physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) and to examine adherence to the 24-hour activity guidelines among children with cerebral palsy (CP) using actigraphy.

METHOD

Children's 24-hour activities were recorded over 7 days using hip- and wrist-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers.

RESULTS

In total, 362 days and 340 nights from 54 children with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I-III; 44% females; median age [range] 6 years 6 months [3-12 years]) were included. Mean (SD) daily wear time was 746.2 (48.9) minutes, of which children spent on average 33.8% in light physical activity (251.6 [58.7] minutes per day), 5.2% in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (38.5 [20.1] minutes per day), and the remaining 61.1% being sedentary (456.1 [80.4] minutes per day). Physical activity decreased while sedentary behavior increased with increasing GMFCS level. In total, 13% of all children met the physical activity recommendations, and 35% met the age-appropriate sleep duration recommendation. The proportion of children meeting the combined 24-hour guidelines for physical activity and sleep was low (5.9%), especially in those classified in GMFCS level III (0%).

INTERPRETATION

The observed low 24-hour guideline adherence rates emphasize the importance of considering the entire continuum of movement behaviors in the care of children with CP, in efforts to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors and prevent negative health outcomes.

Device-based and subjective measurements of sleep in children with cerebral palsy: a comparison of sleep diary, actigraphy, and bed sensor data

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To investigate how subjective assessments and device-based measurements of sleep relate to each other in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHODS

Sleep of children with CP, classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-III, was measured during 7 consecutive nights using 1 subjective (ie, sleep diary) and 2 device-based (ie, actigraphy and bed sensor) instruments. The agreement between the instruments was assessed for all nights and separately for school- and weekend nights, using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

A total of 227 nights from 38 children with CP (53% male; median age [range] 6 [2-12] years), were included in the analyses. Sleep parameters showed poor agreement between the 3 instruments, except for total time in bed, which showed satisfactory agreement between (1) actigraphy and sleep diary (ICC > 0.86), (2) actigraphy and bed sensor (ICC > 0.84), and (3) sleep diary and bed sensor (ICC > 0.83). Furthermore, agreement between sleep diary and bed sensor was also satisfactory for total sleep time (ICC > 0.70) and wakefulness after sleep onset (ICC = 0.55; only during weekend nights).

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers and clinicians need to be aware of the discrepancies between instruments for sleep monitoring in children with CP. We recommend combining both subjective and device-based measures to provide information on the perception as well as an unbiased estimate of sleep. Further research needs to be conducted on the use of a bed sensor for sleep monitoring in children with CP.

CITATION

van Rijssen IM, Hulst RY, Gorter JW, et al. Device-based and subjective measurements of sleep in children with cerebral palsy: a comparison of sleep diary, actigraphy, and bed sensor data. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(1):35-43.

Determinants of Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

To summarize research findings on the determinants of Quality of Life (QoL) in children with cerebral palsy based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

METHODS

The protocol of the review was registered in the International Prospective Register of The Systematic Reviews PROSPERO (CRD42021261966). A PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE complete, and CINAHL Plus search was conducted between January 2020 and October 2021 to identify studies that examined determinants of QoL. Inclusion criteria for the studies were children between the ages of birth and 20 years with cerebral palsy. The data extraction and quality evaluation of studies were carried out independently by two reviewers.

RESULTS

A total of 664 studies were identified in the search, of which 23 studies were included in the review. The majority of the studies were conducted in high-income countries. According to the ICF, 48% of the studies examined body function determinants, 52% examined activities determinants, and 26% examined environmental determinants. In contrast, 13% of the studies examined determinants related to participation and 13% examined determinants related to personal factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our findings, most of the determinants identified in the literature are related sequentially to functional activities, body functions and structures, and environmental factors. Researchers should focus on assessing the determinants of QoL related to participation and personal characteristics for children with cerebral palsy in order to improve their QoL.

Functional and environmental predictors of health-related quality of life of school-age children with cerebral palsy: A cross-sectional study of caregiver perspectives

BACKGROUND

Caregivers' reports often serve as a decision-making guide in the treatment and rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study identified predictors of the caregiver-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of school-age children with CP.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using the convenience sample of 108 children with CP (60 males; aged 7-18 years; mean age 12 years 8 months [SD 3 years 5 months]). Caregivers reported their child's HRQoL using KIDSCREEN-27. Standard multiple regression analyses were conducted to test if the child characteristics (gender, age, Gross Motor Function Classification System-Expanded & Revised [GMFCS-E&R], Manual Ability Classification System [MACS], intellectual disability, health problems, communication, social skills, behavioural difficulties); family characteristics (income, type, home adaptation); physical, social and attitudinal barriers; environmental features; and family-centeredness of service delivery significantly predicted HRQoL.

RESULTS

Fine manual abilities, home adaptation and the magnitude of barriers predicted physical well-being. The child's challenging behaviour, the magnitude of barriers and the barriers related to different policies predicted psychological well-being. The home adaptation level and provision of general information about the child's disability and available types of services predicted HRQoL domain related to interactions and relationships with parents. Children with behavioural difficulties and more severe limitations in communication had less social support from friends and peers. The social skills and intellectual functioning combined with the parental ratings of the child's behaviour, other people's attitudes towards the child and the lack of support predicted HRQoL in the School Environment domain. The magnitude and frequency of barriers were the strongest predictors of general HRQoL.

CONCLUSION

From the caregivers' perspective, home adaptation, supportive laws and policies and family-centred rehabilitation care that meets the family needs may promote children's HRQoL. Specific interventions addressing modifiable environmental features and continuous support to children in improving their fine motor abilities, communication and social skills and families in managing behavioural difficulties may be relevant for HRQoL of school-age children with CP.

Sleep problems in children with cerebral palsy and their parents

AIM

To describe: (1) the frequency and types of sleep problems, (2) parent-rated satisfaction with their child's and their own sleep, and (3) child factors related to the occurrence of sleep problems in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and their parents. The secondary objective was to compare the sleep outcomes of children with CP with those from typically developing children and their parents.

METHOD

The Sleep section of the 24-hour activity checklist was used to assess the sleep of children with CP and their parents and the sleep of typically developing children and their parents.

RESULTS

The sleep outcomes of 90 children with CP (median age 5y, range 0-11y, 53 males, 37 females, 84.4% ambulatory) and 157 typically developing peers (median age 5y, range 0-12y; 79 males, 78 females) and their parents were collected. Children with CP were more likely to have a sleep problem than typically developing children. Non-ambulatory children with CP were more severely affected by sleep problems than ambulatory children. The parents of non-ambulatory children were less satisfied about their child's and their own sleep. Waking up during the night, pain/discomfort in bed, and daytime fatigue were more common in children with CP and more prevalent in children who were non-ambulatory.

INTERPRETATION

These findings highlight the need to integrate sleep assessment into routine paediatric health care practice. What this paper adds Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are more likely to have a sleep problem than typically developing peers. Non-ambulatory children with CP are more severely affected by sleep problems. One-third of parents of children with CP report feeling sleep-deprived often or always compared to a quarter of parents of typically developing children.

Development and sensibility assessment of a health-related quality of life instrument for adults with severe disabilities who are non-ambulatory

BACKGROUND

Insight in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults with severe disabilities who are non-ambulatory is important, but a measure is lacking. The aim was to develop a HRQoL measure for this group.

METHOD

The developmental process consisted of the adaptation process of a proxy HRQoL measure for children with severe disabilities who are non-ambulatory and the assessment of the sensibility of the developed instrument. A three-step process was used: focus groups, e-survey and interviews.

RESULTS

In total, 72% of the items remained unchanged. Three new items and one element to an existing item were added. In ten items, the formulation of the items was adapted to the target group. Concerning the sensibility, respondents suggested minor changes to the instruction and the output scales.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has yielded a proxy HRQoL measure for adults with severe disabilities who are non-ambulatory, the CPADULT, with good sensibility.

Sleep, cognition and executive functioning in young children with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at higher risk for sleep disturbances than their typically developing peers. In typically developing young children, lack of sufficient sleep results in deficits in cognition, behavior and executive functioning. Unfortunately, research on sleep in infancy rarely focuses on children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Studies of older children with CP demonstrate that roughly half of children with CP have a sleep disorder, though screening for sleep disorders in children with CP is not routinely performed. Given the high prevalence of sleep abnormalities in older children with CP and the resulting adverse effects on functioning, understanding sleep derangements and how they affect cognition and executive functioning in these children at earlier ages is critical. In this chapter, we present the state of the evidence for sleep characteristics, cognition and executive functions for infants and toddlers 0-3years old with CP.

Exploring sleep problems in young children with cerebral palsy - A population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To describe and explore sleep problems in a population-based cohort of young children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Stockholm, Sweden.

METHODS

All children with CP, aged 5-10 years, and living in the Northern Karolinska University Hospital's catchment area were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Medical records obtained in the previous two-year period were reviewed, and a pre-planned parental telephone interview that included five structured questions and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was conducted.

RESULTS

In total, 118 children, with a mean age of 7.4 years (SD 1.5), were included. Bilateral CP was present in 45%, unilateral in 37%, dyskinetic in 15%, and ataxic CP in 3%. Parents of 81% of the children participated in the interview. They reported sleep problems in 41% of their children, and in 80% of these children, night-time sleep was negatively affected by pain. Differences between the ISI total score in relation to CP subtypes (p < 0.025) and levels in GMFCS-E&R (p < 0.001) were detected, with increasing sleep problems for children with dyskinetic CP and children in GMFCS-E&R V. Sleep problems affected by pain were associated to the total score at ISI (r_s = 0.83, p < 0.001, n = 95).

CONCLUSION

The results identified that sleep problems were present in more than 40% of children with CP. Sleep problems were more frequently and extensively present in children with dyskinetic CP and children in GMFCS-E&R level V. Sleep problems were associated with the presence of pain and, in particular, in the most severely affected children.

Pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance in young adults with cerebral palsy

PURPOSE

Investigate pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance in young adults with cerebral palsy compared to references.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Young adults with cerebral palsy (n = 97, aged 21-34 years) and age-matched references from the general population (n = 190) rated pain using a numeric rating scale and fatigue, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance and global health using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® short forms. Scores were compared between cerebral palsy subgroups and the reference population. Correlation coefficients and linear regression analyses assessed interrelationships of health issues and associations with global health.

RESULTS

Individuals with Gross Motor Function Classification System level I had less pain, fatigue and depressive symptoms, while individuals with levels II and III-V had more pain (53% and 56%, p < 0.001) and those with levels III-V more fatigue (39%, p = 0.035) than references (pain: 26%, fatigue: 14%). Pain and fatigue were more interrelated (correlation coefficients: 0.71 vs. 0.41) and stronger associated with global mental health in individuals with cerebral palsy.

CONCLUSIONS

Young adults with Gross Motor Function Classification System levels II-V report more pain and those with levels III-V report more fatigue than references. Pain and fatigue are highly interrelated and specifically relate to mental health in individuals with cerebral palsy.Implications for rehabilitationExcept for those in the highest level of motor function, young adults with cerebral palsy report higher levels of pain and fatigue compared to the general population of the same age.Pain and fatigue are strongly interrelated and associated with mental health in young adults with cerebral palsy.The present study recommends to monitor pain and fatigue in young adults with cerebral palsy with low levels of gross motor function.We advise rehabilitation professionals to consider combined treatment for both pain and fatigue.