Polysomnographic sleep characteristics of generally-anxious and healthy children assessed in the home environment

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 161; pp. 79 - 83
• Main Authors: Patriquin, Michelle A, Mellman, Thomas A, Glaze, Daniel G, Alfano, Candice A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01-06-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety Disorders - physiopathology; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Female; First night effects; Generalized anxiety disorder; Generalized anxiety disorders; Home based; Humans; Latency; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Polysomnography; Pre-sleep arousal; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Rapid eye movement sleep; Sleep; Sleep Wake Disorders - diagnosis; Sleep, REM; Sleep; Pre-sleep arousal; First night effects; Children; Generalized anxiety disorder; Polysomnography; Social environment; Human; Affect affectivity; Anxiety disorder; Electrodiagnosis; Arousal; Family environment; Anxiety; Sleep wake cycle; Child
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.02.037

Abstract Background Using laboratory-based polysomnography (PSG) we recently provided evidence of significantly prolonged sleep onset latency (SOL) and reduced latency to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep among non-depressed children with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to healthy age-matched controls. In the current study we conducted unattended ambulatory PSG in a new sample of children with GAD and controls in order to examine sleeping characteristics in the home environment. Method Thirty-two children (ages of 7–11 years) including 16 children with primary GAD and 16 controls receiving no psychotropic medications were studied. The anxious group had a primary diagnosis of GAD without secondary mood disorders and controls were free of any medical or psychiatric diagnoses. All participants underwent structured diagnostic assessments and completed one night of home-based polysomnography (PSG). Results Children with GAD exhibited significantly higher sleep efficiency (SE) and fewer rapid eye movement (REM) sleep periods compared to controls. Self-reported somatic arousal during the pre-sleep period was negatively correlated with the percentage of total REM sleep among controls, but positively correlated with REM sleep percentage in the GAD group. Limitations A small sample size and one night of PSG only. Conclusions Home-based PSG recording do not provide evidence of disrupted sleep patterns in children with GAD. Contextual factors that better elucidate differences between laboratory and home-based sleep findings are suggested as important directions for future research.