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O'Rourke C, Horne RSC, Nixon GM, Harris KR, Connelly A, Crichton A. Sleep Disturbance in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and the Relationship to the Neurodevelopmental Profile. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2024:00004703-990000000-00182. [PMID: 38990137 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sleep disturbance is an important feature of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). We sought to describe sleep patterns in school-aged children with FASD, in comparison with a typically developing community group, and investigate the relationship between sleep and neurodevelopmental profiles. METHOD The FASD cohort (N = 36) was recruited from a tertiary Australian FASD diagnostic center, and the typically developing group (N = 36) was previously recruited as a control cohort for a separate study. Sleep disturbance was assessed with the caregiver-completed Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) questionnaire. Neurodevelopmental assessment results for the 10 domains impaired in FASD were used for correlations with sleep disturbance. RESULTS In the FASD group, 80% of children scored above the SDSC cutoff, compared with 22% of the control group (p < 0.001). Statistically significant group differences were seen for all 6 subscales of the SDSC (p < 0.05). The most frequently affected domains in the FASD group related to difficulties with initiating and maintaining sleep (58%), sleep-wake transition disorders (44%), and disorders of arousal (42%). A statistically significant relationship was not found between sleep and the severity of neurodevelopmental impairment or impairment of a particular domain, acknowledging the limitations of our small sample size. Half of the FASD sample (52%) were taking a pharmaceutical agent to support sleep, which was not associated with lower SDSC scores. CONCLUSION In this small study, sleep disturbances were frequently reported by carers of children with FASD, independent of the severity of their neurodevelopmental impairments. Persistent sleep disturbance despite the use of sleep medications highlights the need for prospective studies exploring sleep interventions in this population. Integration of behavioral sleep medicine into management is recommended for all children with FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia O'Rourke
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and
| | - Rosemary S C Horne
- Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and
- Melbourne Children's Sleep Centre, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gillian M Nixon
- Melbourne Children's Sleep Centre, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Katrina R Harris
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Annette Connelly
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alison Crichton
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and
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Chandler-Mather N, Crichton A, Shelton D, Harris K, Donovan C, Dawe S. Carer-reported sleep disturbance and carer- and teacher-rated executive functioning in children with prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38607688 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2337715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have high rates of sleep disturbance and marked difficulties with executive functioning (EF). Sleep disturbance has been associated with poorer EF across development in typically developing children. The contribution of insomnia symptoms and nightmares to EF difficulties in children with PAE and FASD is unclear. The current study examined whether caregiver-reported insomnia symptoms and nightmares predicted difficulties with EF in children with PAE who were assessed at FASD diagnostic clinics. Archival data on 116 children with PAE assessed at FASD diagnostic clinics were extracted from databases. Children were assigned to a preschool-age group (3.1 to 5.9 years, n = 40) and a school-age group (5.9 to 10.9 years, n = 76). Insomnia symptoms and nightmares were measured using items extracted from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) while EF was measured using the caregiver and teacher Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) rating forms. Bootstrapped regression models were used examine the effects of insomnia symptoms and nightmares on domains of EF in each group while adjusting for potential confounds. For preschool children, insomnia symptoms were associated with greater daytime tiredness while nightmares were associated with greater difficulties with Emergent Metacognition according to their teachers. For school-age children, insomnia symptoms predicted greater EF difficulties across most domains according to their caregivers but not teachers. Sleep disturbance may compound EF impairments in children with PAE and should be screened for as part of FASD diagnostic assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Crichton
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Doug Shelton
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Australia
| | - Katrina Harris
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Australia
| | - Caroline Donovan
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sharon Dawe
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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Wilson DA, Sullivan RM, Smiley JF, Saito M, Raineki C. Developmental alcohol exposure is exhausting: Sleep and the enduring consequences of alcohol exposure during development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 158:105567. [PMID: 38309498 PMCID: PMC10923002 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading nongenetic cause of human intellectual impairment. The long-term impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure on health and well-being are diverse, including neuropathology leading to behavioral, cognitive, and emotional impairments. Additionally negative effects also occur on the physiological level, such as the endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Among these diverse impacts is sleep disruption. In this review, we describe how prenatal alcohol exposure affects sleep, and potential mechanisms of those effects. Furthermore, we outline the evidence that sleep disruption across the lifespan may be a mediator of some cognitive and behavioral impacts of developmental alcohol exposure, and thus may represent a promising target for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald A Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Smiley
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariko Saito
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
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Gerstner T, Henning O, Løhaugen G, Skranes J. Frequency of epilepsy and pathological EEG findings in a Norwegian sample of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Impact on cognition and adaptive functioning. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:309-318. [PMID: 38105112 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) comprises a combination of developmental, cognitive, and behavioral disabilities that occur in children exposed to alcohol prenatally. A higher prevalence of epilepsy and pathological electroencephalographic (EEG) features have also been reported in individuals with FASD. We examined the frequency of epilepsy, pathological EEG findings, and their implications for cognitive and adaptive functioning in children with FASD. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 148 children with FASD who underwent a multidisciplinary assessment and a 120-min EEG recording. Group comparisons and regression analyses were performed to test the associations between epilepsy and pathological EEG findings, FASD subgroups and neurocognitive test results and adaptive functioning. RESULTS The frequency of epilepsy was 6%, which compares with 0.7% in Norway overall. Seventeen percent of children without epilepsy had pathological EEG findings. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was diagnosed in 64% of the children. Children with epilepsy and/or pathological EEG findings had comparable cognitive and adaptive scores to those with normal EEG. However, children with frontal EEG pathology (without epilepsy) had significantly lower scores on the IQ indices Processing speed and Working memory than FASD children without such findings, irrespective of ADHD comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS There was a greater prevalence of epilepsy among children with FASD than in the general Norwegian population. A greater frequency of EEG pathology was also evident in children without epilepsy, across all FASD subgroups. Irrespective of epilepsy, ADHD comorbidity, and FASD subgroup, children with frontal EEG pathology, despite having a normal total IQ, showed significantly slower processing speed and poorer working memory, which may indicate specific executive function deficits that could affect learning and adaptive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Gerstner
- Regional Competence Center for Children with Prenatal Alcohol/Drug Exposure, Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Oliver Henning
- National Centre for Epilepsy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gro Løhaugen
- Regional Competence Center for Children with Prenatal Alcohol/Drug Exposure, Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
| | - Jon Skranes
- Regional Competence Center for Children with Prenatal Alcohol/Drug Exposure, Department of Pediatrics, Sørlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Inkelis SM. Multiple factors to consider in understanding sleep difficulties in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:2231-2232. [PMID: 38151785 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Inkelis
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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