Media recommendation
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
What the
An extensive study in children found evidence that behavioral problems in children who snore may be associated with changes in the structure of the frontal lobe of the brain. The findings support the early assessment of children with regular snoring (snoring three or more nights a week). The research, published in Communications about nature, was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and nine other institutes, centers and offices of the National Institutes of Health.
Extensive population-based studies have established a clear link between snoring and behavioral problems, such as inattention or hyperactivity, but the exact nature of this relationship is not fully understood. While several small studies have reported a correlation between sleep apnea – when breathing pauses are prolonged – and certain changes in the brain, little is known about whether these changes contribute to behaviors observed in some obstructive sleep disorders (ODS). , a group of conditions frequently associated with snoring that are characterized by resistance to breathing during sleep.
To address this knowledge gap, researchers led by Amal Isaiah, MD, D.Phil., Of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, leveraged the large and diverse data set provided by the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. a long-term study of long-term study of child health and brain development in the United States. The research team exploited this wealth of data from more than 11,000 9- and 10-year-olds to examine the relationship between snoring, brain structure, and behavioral problems.
Confirming the results of previous work, their statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between regular snoring and behavioral problems, with children who snore most frequently generally exhibiting worse behavior according to an evaluation completed by parents. The findings also showed that snoring is related to smaller volumes of multiple regions of the frontal lobe of the brain, an area involved in cognitive functions such as problem solving, impulse control, and social interactions. Statistical analysis also suggested that differences in brain observed in snoring children may contribute to behavioral problems, but further work is needed on how snoring, brain structure, and behavioral problems change over time to confirm a causal link. .
The findings of this study indicate oSDB as a possible reversible cause of behavioral problems, suggesting that children will be routinely examined for snoring. Children who snore normally can then be referred for further care. Such care may include the evaluation and treatment of conditions that contribute to oSDB, such as obesity, or the evaluation for the surgical removal of adenoids and tonsils.
The ABCD study, the largest of its kind in the United States, targets nearly 12,000 young people as they become young adults. Investigators regularly measure participants’ brain structure and activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices and collect psychological, environmental, and cognitive information, as well as biological samples. The aim of the study is to define the standards for normal brain and cognitive development and to identify factors that can increase or disrupt the trajectory of a young person’s life.
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and the ABCD Study are service marks and registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, respectively.
Article
Isaiah A, et al. Associations between frontal lobe structure, obstructive sleep reported by parents, and childhood behavior in the ABCD dataset. Communications about nature DOI: 10.15154 / 1520518 (2021).
Which
Gayathri J. Dowling, Ph.D., director of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study at NIDA is available for interviews.
About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most research in the world on the health issues of drug use and dependence. The institute runs a wide variety of programs to inform policies, improve practice and advance the science of addiction. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.drugabuse.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
NIH, the national medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is a component of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the leading federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures of both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH … Transforming discovery into health®