The Role of Sleep-Disordered Breathing Symptoms in Neurocognitive Function Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine associations between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and executive/attentional function in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD). Methods: Sixty youth with SCD ages 8–18 years and caregivers completed the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), Delis Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Test (DKEFS TMT), Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), and the Behavior Rating Inventory Of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2) Parent Report. Results: The PSQ significantly predicted the BRIEF-2 Parent Report, F(1, 58) = 44.64, p < .001, R² = 0.44, f² = 0.77. Conclusions: Sleep-disordered breathing symptoms may predict informant-rated executive dysfunction in pediatric SCD, but not performance-based executive function.

Acknowledgments

Morgan Mannweiler, M.Ed./Ed.S. is acknowledged for her contribution to data collection for the current project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Turner, E.M., Koskela-Staples, N.C., Fedele, D. & Heaton, S.C. (2020, February). The Role of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Neurocognitive Functioning Among Youth with Sickle Cell Disease. Poster accepted for presentation at the International Neuropsychological Society 2020 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Florida Center for Pediatric and Family Studies.