Changes in attention deficit and adipokine levels in children with sleep-disordered breathing.

Background: Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may lead to attention deficits and abnormal changes in adipokine levels, potentially impacting overall health and development. This work aimed to investigate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: A total of 111 children with OSA were included in the study and categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of ADHD: the observation group (OG, n = 58) and the control group (CG, n = 53). Additionally, a cohort of 50 healthy children was included as the blank group (BG). Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between serum adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, and resistin) and the presence of ADHD in the subjects.

Results: Children in OG exhibited drastically higher levels of the apnea-hypopnea index, blood oxygen saturation, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-12, and IL-13 versus CG, while the level of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was greatly lower (P < 0.05). Additionally, OG had markedly higher dopamine levels and substantially lower norepinephrine levels versus CG (P < 0.05). The presence of ADHD symptoms was highly positively correlated with serum leptin levels (P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with adiponectin and resistin (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Children with OSA and comorbid ADHD may experience more severe sleep disturbances and metabolic abnormalities, including poor sleep quality (SQ), abnormal neurotransmitter secretion, heightened inflammatory responses, and significant changes in adipokine levels. The occurrence of ADHD symptoms is associated with elevated leptin levels and decreased adiponectin and resistin levels.