Actigraphy-Derived Sleep Profiles of Children with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) over Two Weeks—Comparison, Precursor Symptoms, and the Chronotype

Mirjam Ziegler; Anna Kaiser; Christine Igel; Julia Geissler; Konstantin Mechler; Nathalie E. Holz; Katja Becker; Manfred Döpfner; Marcel Romanos; Daniel Brandeis; Sarah Hohmann; Sabina Millenet; Tobias Banaschewski

doi:10.3390/brainsci11121564

Brain Sciences (Nov 2021)

Actigraphy-Derived Sleep Profiles of Children with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) over Two Weeks—Comparison, Precursor Symptoms, and the Chronotype

Mirjam Ziegler,
Anna Kaiser,
Christine Igel,
Julia Geissler,
Konstantin Mechler,
Nathalie E. Holz,
Katja Becker,
Manfred Döpfner,
Marcel Romanos,
Daniel Brandeis,
Sarah Hohmann,
Sabina Millenet,
Tobias Banaschewski

Affiliations

Mirjam Ziegler: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Anna Kaiser: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Christine Igel: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Julia Geissler: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
Konstantin Mechler: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Nathalie E. Holz: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Katja Becker: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Philipps-University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, 35039 Marburg, Germany
Manfred Döpfner: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Marcel Romanos: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
Daniel Brandeis: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Sarah Hohmann: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Sabina Millenet: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Tobias Banaschewski: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121564
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 12
p. 1564

Abstract

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Although sleep problems are common in children with ADHD, their extent, preceding risk factors, and the association between neurocognitive performance and neurobiological processes in sleep and ADHD, are still largely unknown. We examined sleep variables in school-aged children with ADHD, addressing their intra-individual variability (IIV) and considering potential precursor symptoms as well as the chronotype. Additionally, in a subgroup of our sample, we investigated associations with neurobehavioral functioning (n = 44). A total of 57 children (6–12 years) with (n = 24) and without ADHD (n = 33) were recruited in one center of the large ESCAlife study to wear actigraphs for two weeks. Actigraphy-derived dependent variables, including IIV, were analyzed using linear mixed models in order to find differences between the groups. A stepwise regression model was used to investigate neuropsychological function. Overall, children with ADHD showed longer sleep onset latency (SOL), higher IIV in SOL, more movements during sleep, lower sleep efficiency, and a slightly larger sleep deficit on school days compared with free days. No group differences were observed for chronotype or sleep onset time. Sleep problems in infancy predicted later SOL and the total number of movements during sleep in children with and without ADHD. No additional effect of sleep problems, beyond ADHD symptom severity, on neuropsychological functioning was found. This study highlights the importance of screening children with ADHD for current and early childhood sleep disturbances in order to prevent long-term sleep problems and offer individualized treatments. Future studies with larger sample sizes should examine possible biological markers to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Published in Brain Sciences

ISSN: 2076-3425 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/

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