Sleep disorders in Taiwanese children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

J Sleep Res. 2004 Sep;13(3):269-77. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2004.00408.x.

Abstract

To assess obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with a control group. The ADHD was diagnosed based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, version IV (DSM-IV) criteria on successively seen elementary school children aged 6-12 years referred to a psychiatric clinic for suspected ADHD. A standardized interview (Kiddie-SADS-E), parents and teacher questionnaires, neuropsychological testing, and nocturnal polysomnography were completed for each child. Eighty-eight children (77 boys) with ADHD and 27 controls were involved in the study. Fifty children with ADHD (56.8%) had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >1 event h(-1) and 17 (19.3%) had an AHI >5 event h(-1). Nine children (10.2%) had a periodic limb movement index (PLMI) >5 events h(-1). There is one child with AHI >1 and none with a PLMI > 5 in the control group. In the test of variables of attention (TOVA), the response time was significantly worse in ADHD with sleep disorders than those without them. The child behavior checklist (CBCL) showed a significant difference between groups in the hyperactivity subscale. The diagnostic criteria for ADHD based on DSM-IV do not differentiate between children with or without sleep disorders. Evaluation of sleep disorders should be considered before starting drug treatment for ADHD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnosis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / epidemiology
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / ethnology*
  • Child
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Observer Variation
  • Polysomnography
  • Prospective Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / diagnosis
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / ethnology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / diagnosis
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / epidemiology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / ethnology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Taiwan / epidemiology