About this Research Topic
Sleep problems have been described in 30%- 50% of the pediatric population. Lack of adequate sleep is associated with changes in cognitive abilities, social behaviors, school performance and overall health in children of all ages. Very often, these sleep problems persist for a longer period and it is less well understood what the long term effect of these disorders might be, especially in terms of brain development. The range of described sleep problems in children is broad. From per-term infants with early exposure to the environment, to children with genetic disorders such as autism or physiological problems as seen in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) leading to hypoxia or general brain trauma are common. Shared between all these issues are changes in the brain structure and function. It remains unclear whether these brain changes are acute or chronic, if gray or white matter are more affected and how the ability for adaption or plasticity in the developing brain during development is altered.
The goal of this special issue is to collect studies investigating sleep disorders in young children, with special focus on changes in the brain, on a structural and/ or functional level. This special issue focuses on non-healthy conditions to provide an broader gestalt of the short and long term impact of altered sleep behaviors and sleep disorders in children. Sleep is an essential part of our everyday live. The impact of abnormal sleep in children on society are far ranging, from tired parents incapacitated in their everyday life to problems with school performance or sociability of the child itself. Even less is known what the potential long term effects on brain health and normal development will be. Adding on top of that conditions that aggravate the overall phenotype can potentially lead to a worsening of the general outcome. Understanding the relevance of sleep under sub-optimal or traumatic conditions early in life will help to provide the therapeutic framework needed to increase chances for normal brain development in children.
Original articles will be preferred, reviews and short reports are welcome. Overall the issue focuses on the connection between sleep disorders and brain development under suboptimal conditions. Three focus areas are defined for this research topic:
1) Acute (or chronic) brain trauma and sleep; traumatic events leading to local hypoxia in the brain, as seen in OSA or birth asphyxia.
2) Changes of normal brain physiology in sleep disorders with no known underlying condition.
3) Neurodevelopmental disorders with known sleep phenotypes.
The goal of this special issue is to collect studies investigating sleep disorders in young children, with special focus on changes in the brain, on a structural and/ or functional level. This special issue focuses on non-healthy conditions to provide an broader gestalt of the short and long term impact of altered sleep behaviors and sleep disorders in children. Sleep is an essential part of our everyday live. The impact of abnormal sleep in children on society are far ranging, from tired parents incapacitated in their everyday life to problems with school performance or sociability of the child itself. Even less is known what the potential long term effects on brain health and normal development will be. Adding on top of that conditions that aggravate the overall phenotype can potentially lead to a worsening of the general outcome. Understanding the relevance of sleep under sub-optimal or traumatic conditions early in life will help to provide the therapeutic framework needed to increase chances for normal brain development in children.
Original articles will be preferred, reviews and short reports are welcome. Overall the issue focuses on the connection between sleep disorders and brain development under suboptimal conditions. Three focus areas are defined for this research topic:
1) Acute (or chronic) brain trauma and sleep; traumatic events leading to local hypoxia in the brain, as seen in OSA or birth asphyxia.
2) Changes of normal brain physiology in sleep disorders with no known underlying condition.
3) Neurodevelopmental disorders with known sleep phenotypes.
Keywords: OSA, hypoxia, brain physiology, brain trauma, plasticity, cognition, neurodevelopmental, sleep biomarker .
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
