Identification of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Children

December 3, 2016 updated by: Ronald D. Chervin, M.D., M.S., University of Michigan
The purpose of this research is to study and improve the methods used to detect childhood breathing problems during sleep that can affect daytime behavior at home and school. Early diagnosis of these sleep disorders may allow doctors to treat children at a time when the consequences can still be reversed.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects at least 1 to 3 percent of children. Associated morbidity can include inattentive and hyperactive behavior, disruptive behavior disorders, cognitive deficits, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep specialists recommend that children undergo polysomnography to confirm SDB, especially before undergoing treatment, which often involves an adenotonsillectomy. Unfortunately, such testing is rarely performed either before or after surgery. Available data suggest that a clinical diagnosis of SDB does not predict polysomnographic results reliably. However, the extent to which polysomnographic results predict morbidity, and especially treatable morbidity, is not well known. The main goal of the proposed research, therefore, is to study and improve methods for identification of childhood SDB that carries reversible morbidity.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

Researchers will examine the utility of polysomnography in a group of children scheduled to undergo adenotonsillectomy for clinical indications, and a group of matched control subjects. Initial evaluations, before surgery in the first group, will be compared to results of identical evaluations 6 months later in this controlled nonrandomized trial. Outcomes will be provided by well-validated assessments of behavior, psychiatric status, cognition, and sleepiness. Explanatory variables will include standard clinical and polysomnographic information, and data from two newer techniques. The first, nasal pressure monitoring, shows increased sensitivity for events that characterize SDB, but few results and no outcome data have been reported from use of this method in children. The second is an innovative signal processing algorithm developed by the investigators to show that cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) activity changes in synchrony with non-apneic respiratory cycles in children with SDB. Preliminary data suggest that the magnitude of respiratory cycle-related EEG changes (RCREC) varies with SDB severity, diminishes after SDB treatment, and improves prediction of neurobehavioral outcomes. The specific aims of the proposed research are to show that 1) nasal pressure monitoring, in comparison to standard measures of airflow, improves prediction of neurobehavioral response to adenotonsillectomy; 2) RCREC, in comparison to standard visually-scored EEG-based arousals, do likewise; 3) polysomnographic SDB measures, including nasal pressure monitoring and RCREC, add useful information to that derived from office-based assessments; and 4) polysomnography after adenotonsillectomy can identify clinically relevant residual SDB in some children.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

160

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Michigan
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109-0845
        • University of Michigan Health System

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

3 years to 12 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children who are scheduled to undergo adenotonsillectomy for clinical indications, as well as a group of control subjects will be enrolled.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Assent of child (if over the age of 9 or younger but able to understand the nature of the study)
  • At least one parent or guardian must sign an informed consent
  • Child must be either a healthy volunteer or scheduled for an adenotonsillectomy for any reason
  • Children scheduled for adenotonsillectomies must be referred to the program by a treating otolaryngologist who practices at the University of Michigan or St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Mental or physical limitations that would prevent proper interpretation of neurobehavioral tests
  • Medical history that could confound interpretation of EEG or behavioral data, including epilepsy, psychiatric diagnoses (other than disruptive behavior disorders), head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than 30 seconds, or chronic medication use (e.g., benzodiazepines, other hypnotics, or antihistamines)
  • Current treatment by a physician or past surgical treatment for SDB
  • A known medical condition that carries independent high risk of SDB (e.g., Pierre Robin syndrome, Down syndrome, or neuromuscular disorders) or excessive daytime sleepiness (e.g., narcolepsy)
  • Inability to schedule polysomnography, a Multiple Sleep Latency Test, and neurobehavioral testing before the surgical date
  • Determination by any of the patient's physicians that sleep testing is required before surgery can be scheduled (to avoid the possibility that study enrollment itself could affect ability to complete the study)
  • Prior enrollment of a sibling in the study
  • Expectation that the child will no longer have convenient access to University of Michigan facilities within 6 months or expectation of further surgery within that period

Additional exclusion criteria for healthy volunteers include:

  • Any history of adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy
  • Plans for either procedure in the future
  • History of habitual snoring
  • History of large (uninfected) tonsils
  • History of recurrent throat infection that might be grounds for adenotonsillectomy (three episodes in each of 3 years, five episodes in each of 2 years, or seven episodes in one year)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Cohort 2
Children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy and healthy subjects, for comparison, not scheduled for such surgery.
Procedure: Observational follow-up study of adenotonsillectomy
Studies of sleep, behavior, cognition, and daytime sleepiness
Other Names:
  • Adenotonsillectomy vs. non-surgical subjects

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Overall behavior
Time Frame: Measured for approximately 6 months
Measured for approximately 6 months
Psychiatric status
Time Frame: Measured for approximately 6 months
Measured for approximately 6 months
Cognition
Time Frame: Measured for approximately 6 months
Measured for approximately 6 months
Sleepiness (measured immediately before surgery and 6 months after surgery)
Time Frame: Measured for approximately 6 months
Measured for approximately 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Michigan

Collaborators

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ronald D Chervin, MD, MS, University of Michigan

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 3, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 3, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

October 5, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

December 6, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 3, 2016

Last Verified

December 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 324
  • R01HL080941 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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