Paradoxical insomnia is characterized by discrepancy between subjective and objective assessments of sleep and is challenging to diagnosis and treat. Typically, polysomnographic (PSG) findings show ...significantly longer total sleep time than patients' report of sleep, and the difference between subjective and PSG sleep is greater than that seen in other insomnia subtypes. Subjective–objective sleep discrepancy may also present in different clinical pictures, as marked discrepancies between patients' perception of sleep and objective findings are common in a variety of medical, sleep and psychiatric disorders. However, there is a paucity of literature about the etiology and treatment of sleep discrepancy and paradoxical insomnia. Therefore, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of sleep discrepancy and paradoxical insomnia should be further investigated. Additionally, well-controlled clinical trials are needed to establish an evidence based intervention for treatment.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD) is characterized by neurological symptoms that are unexplained by other traditional neurological or medical conditions. Both physicians and patients ...have limited understanding of FNSD, which is often explained as a physical manifestation of psychological distress. Recently, diagnostic criteria have shifted from requiring a preceding stressor to relying on positive symptoms. Given this shift, we have provided a review of the etiology of FNSD. Predisposing factors include trauma or psychiatric symptoms, somatic symptoms, illness exposure, symptom monitoring and neurobiological factors. Neurobiological research has indicated that patients with FNSD have a decreased sense of agency and abnormal attentional focus on the affected area, both of which are modulated by beliefs and expectations about illness. Sick role and secondary gain may reinforce and maintain FNSD. The integrated etiological summary model combines research from various fields and other recent etiological models to represent the current understanding of FNSD etiology. It discusses a potential causal mechanism and informs future research and treatment.
Purpose of Review
Many of the risk factors for heart disease have recently been shown to develop during childhood such as left ventricular hypertrophy and fibrous plaque lesions. As risk for ...cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents has risen, sleep duration has decreased, and inadequate sleep in children and adolescents has been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk. The aims of this manuscript are to provide an updated systematic review of the literature assessing sleep, hypertension, and cardiovascular risk and evaluate the strength of the evidence based on the available research.
Recent Findings
A systematic review was conducted using six databases from January 1, 2015 through March 9, 2018. We sought studies which looked at the relationship between sleep duration, sleep timing, or sleep quality and outcome variables of hypertension, inflammation, obesity, glucose or insulin, and lipids in children and adolescents. We found 24 studies which met our criteria. Nine studies included hypertension as an outcome variable; fifteen included obesity; thirteen included glucose or insulin; eight included lipids; and three included measures of inflammation.
Summary
The existing literature on sleep and cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents is limited and relatively weak. Only one RCT was identified, and the overwhelming majority of studies had a high risk of bias. The strongest evidence of an association with sleep is with obesity, hypertension, and insulin sensitivity. Further research using more standardized methods and objective measures is needed to determine if a causal relationship truly exists between sleep and cardiovascular risk.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Purpose of Review
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a multi-network brain disorder that encompasses a broad range of neurological symptoms. FND is common in pediatric practice. It places ...substantial strains on children, families, and health care systems. Treatment begins at assessment, which requires the following: the
medical
task of making the diagnosis, the
interpersonal
task of engaging the child and family so that they feel heard and respected, the
communication
task of communicating and explaining the diagnosis, and the
logistical
task of organizing treatment.
Recent Findings
Over the past decade, three treatment approaches—Retraining and Control Therapy (ReACT), other cognitive-behavioral therapies, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation—have been evaluated in the USA, Canada, and Australia. Of children treated in such programs, 63 − 95% showed full resolution of FND symptoms. The common thread across the programs is their biopsychosocial approach—consideration of biological, psychological, relational, and school-related factors that contribute to the child’s clinical presentation.
Summary
Current research strongly supports a biopsychosocial approach to pediatric FND and provides a foundation for a stepped approach to treatment. Stepped care is initially tailored to the needs of the individual child (and family) based on the pattern and severity of FND presentation. The level of care and type of intervention may then be adjusted to consider the child’s response, over time, to treatment or treatment combinations. Future research is needed to confirm effective treatment targets, to inform the development of stepped care, and to improve methodologies that can assess the efficacy of stepped-care interventions.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
In 2010, American youth aged 8 to 18 spent an average of 7.5 hours daily using entertainment media, an increase of more than an hour compared with 2005. Increase in media use is associated with ...multiple negative outcomes, including decreased sleep time and increased tiredness, but little research has examined whether media use is associated with poorer sleep efficiency when the individual is actually asleep.
This study assessed relations between adolescent media use and sleep efficiency. Fifty-five adolescents (mean age = 14.89 years; SD = 0.62; 53% African-American and 47% white) completed self-report measures concerning their media use. Sleep quality was measured by actigraphy for 1 week, and both sleep offset and sleep efficiency were extracted from actigraphy data.
Sleep efficiency was negatively correlated to daily time spent text messaging (r(52) = -0.29; p < .05), media use after bed (r(52) = -0.32; p < .05), and number of nighttime awakenings by mobile phones (r(52) = -0.33; p < .05). Decreased sleep efficiency was related to sleeping later in the morning, presumably to make up for lost sleep at night (r(52) = -0.33; p < .05). In a regression model, media use accounted for 30% of the variance in sleep efficiency (adjusted R = 0.30; F(6,44) = 3.74; p < .01).
Media use after bed, awakenings by a mobile phone at night, and sleep offset associated with adolescents' sleep efficiency. Results support the incorporation of media use habits into adolescent sleep health education and sleep dysfunction interventions. Parental education about the effects of media use on sleep could also mitigate negative effects.
Somatization and functional somatic symptoms reflect conditions in which physical symptoms are not sufficiently explained by medical conditions. Literature suggests that these somatic symptoms may be ...related to illness exposure in the family. Children with a parent or sibling with a chronic illness may be particularly vulnerable to developing somatic symptoms. This study provides a systematic review of the literature on somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill family member.
A systematic review (PROSPERO registry ID: CRD42018092344) was conducted using six databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane) from articles published before April 5, 2018. All authors evaluated articles by title and abstract, and then by full-text review. Relevant data were extracted by the first author and reviewed by remaining authors.
Twenty-seven unique studies met the criteria. Seventeen examined somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill parent, and seven evaluated somatic symptoms in children with a chronically ill sibling. Three studies examined somatic symptoms in children with an unspecified ill relative. The strongest relationship between child somatization and familial illness was found with children with a chronically ill parent (13/17 studies). Evidence for somatic symptoms in children with an ill sibling was mixed (4/7 studies found a positive association).
The literature on somatic symptoms in children suggests that parental illness is related to increased somatic symptoms in children. Research examining the effects of having a sibling with an illness on somatic symptoms is mixed. Several areas of future research are outlined to further clarify the relationship between familial chronic illness and somatic symptoms.
Objective
Our aim was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of a novel cognitive behaviorally based intervention for pediatric PNES called Retraining and Control Therapy (ReACT).
Methods
...Participants were randomized to receive either eight sessions of ReACT or supportive therapy, and participants completed follow‐up visits at 7‐ and 60‐days posttreatment. The primary outcome measure was PNES frequency at 7‐days posttreatment. Eligibility criteria included children with video‐EEG confirmed PNES and participant/parent or guardian willingness to participate in treatment. Exclusion criteria included substance use, psychosis, and severe intellectual disability. Forty‐two patients were assessed for eligibility and 32 were randomized. ReACT aimed to retrain classically conditioned, involuntary PNES by targeting catastrophic symptom expectations and a low sense of control over symptoms using principles of habit reversal. Supportive therapy was based on the assumption that relief from stress or problems can be achieved by discussion with a therapist.
Results
Twenty‐nine participants (Mage = 15.1 years, SDage = 2.5; 72.2% female; 57.1% Caucasian, 28.6% African American) completed 7‐days postprocedures. For PNES frequency, the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test statistic was 273.5 yielding a normal approximation of Z = 4.725 (P < 0.0001), indicating a significant improvement in PNES frequency for ReACT at 7‐days posttreatment compared to supportive therapy. Participants with PNES in the 7‐days posttreatment were removed from the study for additional treatment, resulting in no 60‐day follow‐up data for supportive therapy.
Interpretation
ReACT resulted in significantly greater PNES reduction than supportive therapy, with 100% of patients experiencing no PNES in 7 days after ReACT. Additionally, 82% remained PNES‐free for 60 days after ReACT.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This study assessed psychiatric and personality characteristics in relation to pediatric functional seizures (FS).
In a 1:1 prospectively matched-control study design, children with documented FS ...(confirmed via video EEG; ages 13–18) were matched to controls (MCs) on income, sex, race, and age. Primary outcomes were Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) and Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). Secondary measures included questionnaires assessing trauma, somatization, body awareness and quality of life (QOL). T-tests investigated differences between groups on T-scores. Due to lack of significant outcomes, an experimental analysis was conducted assessing differences in number of clinically elevated BASC-2 and MACI scores between groups. Binary logistic regressions determined the influences of clinically elevated scores on likelihood participants have FS. T-tests assessed differences on secondary measures.
Participants included 84 children, 42 with FS and 42 MCs (Children with FS: Meanage=15.4, Interquartile Rangeage=3; 73.5% female; 59.5% white). Children with FS had greater parent-reported somatization (t(23)=5.67, p<0.001) on BASC-2, greater somatization on CSSI-24 (t(35)=6.83, p<0.001), and poorer QOL (t(41)=-6.22; p<0.001) than MCs. There were no differences in clinically elevated BASC-2 or MACI scores compared to MCs and clinically elevated scores did not influence likelihood participants have FS.
Children with FS had greater somatization and poorer QOL but similar rates of psychiatric symptoms, trauma, and maladaptive personality traits compared to MCs. Psychiatric or personality factors did not predict likelihood of FS. Explanations of pediatric FS should consider novel contributors to FS rather than relying solely on a psychiatric etiology.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Pediatric obesity is associated with impaired cognitive function; however, the mechanisms underlying this association demand assessment. Sleep may be a relevant moderator, as poor sleep predicts both ...increased adiposity and impaired cognitive function.
To determine the effects of adiposity and sleep on adolescent cognitive function.
This single-blind randomized crossover trial was conducted from September 2020 to October 2022. Parents or caregivers provided demographic information for adolescent participants. Body mass index percentile and bioelectrical impedance analysis assessed adiposity. Adolescents completed 2 actigraphy-confirmed sleep conditions, adequate and restricted, followed by in-person cognitive assessment. No additional follow-up was provided. Data collection for this population-based study took place in a behavioral medicine clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. A total of 323 participants were assessed for eligibility (ages 14-19 years and healthy). Of the 244 eligible adolescents, 157 declined participation. Eighty-seven were randomized and 26 dropped out postenrollment. The final sample included 61 adolescents, 31 with healthy weight and 30 with overweight or obesity. Data were analyzed from April to October 2023.
Following a 2-day washout period of adequate sleep, adolescents completed 2 sleep conditions: adequate (mean SD duration, 8 hours, 54 minutes 58.0 minutes) and restricted (mean SD duration, 4 hours, 12 minutes 50.7 minutes).
The National Institutes of Health Cognitive Toolbox assessed global and fluid cognition, cognitive flexibility, working and episodic memory, attention, and processing speed. The Stroop Task assessed inhibition.
The final sample included 61 adolescents (mean SD age, 16.3 1.6 years; 35 57.4% female). Restricted sleep predicted poorer global cognition scores (restricted mean SD, 98.0 2.8; adequate mean SD, 103.2 2.9), fluid cognition scores (restricted mean SD, 94.5 3.2; adequate mean SD, 102.0 3.6), and cognitive flexibility scores (restricted mean SD, 84.8 3.0; adequate mean SD, 92.8 3.0) for adolescents with overweight or obesity. No differences emerged for adolescents with healthy weight. Adolescents with overweight or obesity also had poorer attention scores (mean SD, 80.0 2.3) compared to adolescents with healthy weight (mean SD, 88.4 SD, 2.3) following restricted sleep. No differences emerged following adequate sleep. Findings were similar for total body fat percentage (TBF%); however, for adolescents with TBF% above 42, restricted sleep also predicted poorer processing speed, and the association between sleep and attention did not vary based on TBF%.
Adolescents with overweight or obesity may be more vulnerable to negative cognitive effects following sleep restriction. Improved sleep hygiene and duration in this group may positively impact their cognitive health.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04346433.
•Children with functional seizures demonstrated poorer selective attention and cognitive inhibition as compared with matched controls when presented with seizure-related stimuli.•Children with ...functional seizures had poorer awareness that their control was being manipulated.•A majority of children with functional seizures reported experiencing premonitory symptoms prior to functional seizures.
To date, laboratory-based experimental behavioral methods have not been used to identify factors associated with pediatric functional seizures (FS), leaving a critical gap for effective treatment development.
Children ages 13–18 with video-EEG-confirmed FS were matched to controls (MCs) based on income, sex, race, and age. A modified Stroop task which included a condition requiring participants to report the ink colors in which seizure symptom words were written (e.g., “shaking” in blue) measured selective attention and cognitive inhibition through response time. The magic and turbulence task assessed sense of control in three conditions (magic, lag, turbulence). Children with FS were asked to report premonitory symptoms predicting FS.
Participants included 26 children with FS and 26 MCs (Meanage=15.2, 74% female, 59% white). On Stroop, children with FS had a slower reaction time (Mean=1193.83) than MCs (Mean=949.26, p = 0.022) for seizure symptom words. Children with FS had significantly poorer sense of control in the turbulence condition of the magic and turbulence task (Mean=-3.99, SD=8.83) than MCs (Mean=-11.51, SD=7.87; t(20)=-2.61, p =0.017). Children with FS (Mean=-1.80, SD=6.54) also had significantly poorer sense of control in the magic condition than MCs (Mean=-5.57, SD=6.01; p =0.028). Ninety-eight percent of patients endorsed premonitory symptoms.
Compared with MCs, children with FS have (1) poorer selective attention and cognitive inhibition when presented with seizure-related information and (2) lower sense of control (i.e. poorer awareness that their control was manipulated). Premonitory symptoms were common. Sense of control, selective attention, and inhibition may be novel treatment targets for FS intervention.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP