Actigraphy versus Polysomnography to Measure Sleep in Youth Treated for Craniopharyngioma

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

Youth with craniopharyngioma are at increased risk for excessive daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy. Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for diagnosing sleep disorders, but is time-intensive, costly, and does not offer an in vivo measure of typical sleep routine. We determined the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of actigraphy compared with PSG in measuring nocturnal sleep in pediatric craniopharyngioma.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty youth with craniopharyngioma (age 3-20 years) were assessed by overnight PSG and concurrent actigraphy after surgical resection and before proton therapy.

METHODS

PSG and actigraphy data were synchronized utilizing an epoch-by-epoch comparison method. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated using measures of true wake, true sleep, false wake, and false sleep. Bland-Altman plots were conducted to further assess level of agreement.

RESULTS

Actigraphy was 93% sensitive (true sleep [TS]) and 87% accurate (ability to detect TS and true wake) in measuring sleep versus wakefulness and was a reliable measure of sleep efficiency (SE) and sleep latency (SL). Specificity (true wake) was poor (55%) and total sleep time (TST) was underestimated by an average of 15.1 min. Wake after sleep onset (WASO) was overestimated by an average of 14.7 min.

CONCLUSIONS

Actigraphy was highly sensitive and accurate and was a reliable measure of SE and SL. Although there were differences in TST and WASO measurements by actigraphy and PSG, our findings provide the basis for future studies on the use of actigraphy to monitor treatment response to wakefulness-promoting medications in youth with craniopharyngioma who demonstrate excessive daytime sleepiness.

0994 Assessment Of Sleep-wake And Circadian Rhythm Disruption In Children And Adolescents Diagnosed With Craniopharyngioma

Introduction

Patients with craniopharyngioma are at increased risk for hypersomnia/narcolepsy and circadian rhythm disruption, secondary to hypothalamic-pituitary involvement of the tumor. We assessed youth with craniopharyngioma to determine presence of the dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) and concurrent sleep disturbance.

Methods

Fifty-two patients (7-21 years; 51% female) enrolled on our institutional protocol for craniopharyngioma that included surgery, proton therapy, or both. In-home salivary melatonin was collected after surgery and hourly beginning 3 h before to 1 h after habitual bedtime to determine the DLMO, which was defined as the time that melatonin exceeded a 4 pg/mL threshold. Polysomnography and a next day multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) were also conducted.

Results

Hypersomnia/narcolepsy was indicated in 86% of patients. DLMO was detected in 29 (56%) patients and averaged 21:04 (±1:14). All but 2 patients with a DLMO had a concurrent sleep diagnosis (18 hypersomnia, 8 narcolepsy, 1 insomnia). In those we could not compute a DLMO, melatonin was above the 4 pg/mL threshold in 19 (37%), suggesting that the DLMO was likely earlier than the sampling window. Two (4%) did not reach threshold, suggesting that the DLMO was later than the window. For patients in which DLMO was not computed, all but 4 had a concurrent sleep diagnosis (7 hypersomnia, 9 narcolepsy, 1 MSLT not completed). Three (6%) participants showed a pattern of melatonin decreasing before bedtime (2 hypersomnia, 1 narcolepsy). Sleep disorder diagnosis was not associated with whether a DLMO was detected or not.

Conclusion

DLMO did not occur within the sampling window in 44% of patients with the majority due to the DLMO likely occurring before sampling started. Simultaneous assessment of both sleep-wake disturbance and circadian phase could provide more informed sleep interventions for excessive sleepiness and circadian misalignment in this patient population.

Support

This study was supported by cancer center grant (CA21765) from the National Cancer Institute, and ALSAC.

Cognition, sleep and respiration in at-risk children treated for obstructive sleep apnoea

Sleep-disordered breathing in children has been associated with cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) on sleep, respiration and cognitive function in children of pre-school age with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) from a low-income community population. Altogether, 19 children attending state-funded pre-school programmes underwent overnight polysomnography and cognitive assessment before and following surgical treatment for OSA; 19 matched controls were also assessed. Following T&A, OSA subjects' delta sleep increased, rapid eye movement sleep decreased, and respiratory and arousal indices improved. There were no significant differences in OSA subjects' post-operative sleep or respiratory measures compared to controls. Prior to T&A, cognitive scores were significantly lower in OSA subjects versus controls; following T&A, OSA subjects' scores improved compared to pre-operative scores and did not differ from those of matched controls. Following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, at-risk pre-schoolers recruited directly from the community showed normalised sleep and respiratory patterns and improved cognitive scores. These findings, in this uniquely vulnerable population, which is unlikely to seek evaluation and treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea, underscore the potential value of outreach screening programmes for sleep-disordered breathing, particularly among low-income groups of pre-school age.