Characterization of Sleep Disturbances in Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome and Their Relation with Cognitive and Behavioral Features

Elisa Fucà, Floriana Costanzo, Laura Celestini, Alessandra Mandarino and Stefano Vicari
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Elisa Fucà: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Floriana Costanzo: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Laura Celestini: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Alessandra Mandarino: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Stefano Vicari: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Despite sleep disturbances are common among youths with Down syndrome (DS), the cognitive and behavioral features associated with sleep problems have not yet been studied extensively. The present study investigated the presence of sleep disturbances in a group of children and adolescents with DS and their cognitive and behavioral correlates. Seventy-one children and adolescents with DS underwent a neuropsychological evaluation, whereas parents completed questionnaires for the screening of the child’s sleep, emotional and behavioral problems. We found no association between sleep disturbances and sex, nonverbal IQ, nor adaptive abilities. However, we found that age was positively associated with disorders in initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS) and disorders of excessive somnolence (DOES), while body mass index was related with DOES. We also detected a relationship between visual-motor integrations and DIMS, as well as multiple associations between sleep disturbances and psychopathological and behavioral problems, mainly externalizing symptoms. The present study provided a detailed characterization of sleep problems in relation to several features of youths with DS. The proper identification of sleep disturbances profile in the DS population could support the process of clinical evaluation, in particular for psychopathological aspects.

Keywords: sleep; mental health; trisomy 21; childhood; adolescence; externalizing symptoms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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