The effect of adenotonsillectomy on neurocognitive functioning in children with upper airway obstruction

Funded Activity Summary

Upper airway obstruction during sleep affects up to 3% of all children and is very frequently unrecognised. If severe it causes growth failure, developmental delay and heart failure. However, there is little information on the effects of less severe degrees of upper airway obstruction in children but recent work suggests that reduced academic performance may also be present in children with relatively mild degrees of upper airway obstruction. In particular, the areas most affected appear to be intelligence, memory, behaviour and attentional capacity . Currently it is unclear whether these deficits are due to sleep disruption or reduced nocturnal oxygen levels. The treatment of upper airway obstruction is the removal of adenoids and tonsils, however, it is unknown whether or not this improves the child's intellectual capacity. This study aims to be one of the first to critically evaluate the impact of upper airway obstruction during sleep on children's intelligence, memory, behaviour and attentional capacity, and the improvements wrought by the removal of the child's tonsils and adenoids.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2005

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $185,850.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Paediatrics

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Adenotonsillectomy | Neurocognitive Assessment | Neurocognitive and Behavioural Deficits | Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Children | Paediatric | Sleep | Sleep breathing disorders | Snoring

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