Obstructive sleep apnea in children: implications for the developing central nervous system.
Recent increases in our awareness to the high prevalence of sleep disorders in general and of sleep-disordered breathing among children, in particular, has led to concentrated efforts aiming to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and potential consequences of such conditions. In this review, I will briefly elaborate on some of the pathogenetic elements leading to the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, focus on the psychobehavioral consequences of pediatric OSA, and review the evidence on the potential mechanisms underlying the close association between central nervous system morbidity and the episodic hypoxia and sleep fragmentation that characterize OSA.
Gozal
David
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Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute and Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. david.gozal@louisville.edu
D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000503:physiopathology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology