0900 Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity, Symptoms Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Other Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders In Children And Adolescents: A Retrospective Data Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Children and adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are often diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the connection between the severity of Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) and ADHD is controversial with research evidence pointing in opposing directions. Method(s): A retrospective study was conducted in a pediatric sleep center at a university hospital setting to investigate the effect between AHI severity, ADHD and/or other comorbid psychiatric disorders. One hundred and thirty-eight participants between the age of 6 and 18 were examined in terms of AHI severity level and their correlation with scores from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) using SPSS program. Result(s): A negative correlation between AHI scores and Attention Problems for the entire group of participants was found. Additionally, female adolescents had positive correlations between AHI scores and several affective disorder variables from the CBCL, while male adolescents had negative correlations between AHI levels and several CBCL scores that are typically associated with ADHD and Anxiety disorders. Conclusion(s): This study suggests a relationship between OSA severity and psychiatric conditions. However, this relationship can vary depending on age, gender and AHI severity. More research is required to understand this relationship.