Risk Factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Children: State of the Art

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) represents only part of a large group of pathologies of variable entity called respiratory sleep disorders (RSD) which include simple snoring and increased upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS). Although the etiopathogenesis of adult OSAS is well known, many aspects of this syndrome in children are still debated. Its prevalence is about 2% in children from 2 to 8 years of age, mostly related to the size of the upper airways adenoid tissue. Several risk factors linked to the development of OSAS are typical of the pediatric age. The object of this paper is to analyze the state of the art on this specific topic, discussing its implications in terms of diagnosis and management.

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Risk Factors Associated with Nocturia in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

10.22541/au.159414186.69641021 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mutlu Deger ◽

Ozgur Surmelioglu ◽

Sedat Kuleci ◽

Volkan Izol ◽

Nebil Akdogan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽

Sleep Apnea ◽

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽

Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

Apnea Syndrome

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Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cognitive impairment: effects of CPAP

Reviews in Health Care ◽

10.7175/rhc.5224209-227 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 209

Author(s):

Alessandra Giordano ◽

Alessandro Cicolin ◽

Roberto Mutani

Keyword(s):

Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Sleep Apnea ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽

Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽

Muscular Activity ◽

Upper Airways ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

Apnea Syndrome

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a sleep disorder characterised by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction (apnea) or reduced airflow (hypopnoea) despite persistent respiratory effort. Apnea is defined as the cessation of breathing for at least 10 seconds during sleep, while hypopnoea is defined as at least 30% reduction in airflow for 10 seconds associated with oxygen desaturation and sleep fragmentation. The presence in the general population is about 4%. The principal symptoms are: excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), snoring, dry throat, morning headache, night sweats, gastro-esophageal reflux, and increased blood pressure.Long term complications can be: increased cardio-cerebrovascular risk and cognitive impairment such as deficiency in attention, vigilance, visual abilities, thought, speech, perception and short term memory.Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is currently the best non-invasive therapy for OSAS.CPAP guarantees the opening of upper airways using pulmonary reflexive mechanisms increasing lung volume during exhalation and resistance reduction, decreasing electromyografical muscular activity around airways.The causes of cognitive impairments and their possible reversibility after CPAP treatment have been analysed in numerous studies. The findings, albeit controversial, show that memory, attention and executive functions are the most compromised cognitive functions.The necessity of increasing the patient compliance with ventilotherapy is evident, in order to prevent cognitive deterioration and, when possible, rehabilitate the compromised functions, a difficult task for executive functions.

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