title: CPAP treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea and neurodevelopmental deficits.
abstract: Four boys aged 6-16 years with neurodevelopmental deficits were treated with CPAP for obstructive sleep apnoea. Their diagnoses were: Obesity with mild mental retardation, (2) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, (3) epilepsy associated with left hemiparesis and (4) mild mental retardation due to fragile X syndrome. Previous therapeutic attempts, including adenotonsillectomy, amitriptyline and methylphenidate in our patients prior to CPAP treatment were unsuccessful. A follow-up period of 12-48 months demonstrated a number of clinical benefits such as improvement in sleep quality and daily arousal, and a decrease in the frequency of seizures and episodes of pneumonia. Polysomnographic studies indicated a significant improvement in sleep parameters such as apnoea frequency, awakenings, sleep efficiency and arterial oxygen saturation. Side effects were mild and readily alleviated. CPAP is a feasible therapeutic intervention in intractable obstructive sleep apnoea of childhood, even when associated with neurodevelopmental deficits.
authors.affiliation: Jacobo Lichtmann Apnoea Investigation Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Bnai Zion Medical Centre, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tirosh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaffe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*