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Management of Sleep Disorders in Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Review.

Pharmacotherapy
January 1, 2016
Allison Beck Blackmer et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to review the evidence for melatonin's use in managing sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).

Results Summary

The abstract notes that pharmacologic benefits, including melatonin, are modest at best, and highlights the need for more well-designed trials to better understand efficacy and safety.

Population

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Rett syndrome).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
iron supplementation
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#1
melatonin
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#2
melatonin receptor agonists
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#3
clonidine
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#4
gabapentin
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#5
hypnotics
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#6
trazodone
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#7
atypical antipsychotics
neutral
sleep disorders
children with NDDs
-
available evidence for the use
#8
Abstract

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are defined as a group of disorders caused by changes in early brain development, resulting in behavioral and cognitive alterations in sensory and motor systems, speech, and language. NDDs affect approximately 1-2% of the general population. Up to 80% of children with NDDs are reported to have disrupted sleep; subsequent deleterious effects on daytime behaviors, cognition, growth, and overall development of the child are commonly reported. Examples of NDDs discussed in this review include autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Williams syndrome, and Smith-Magenis syndrome. The etiology of sleep disorders in children with NDDs is largely heterogeneous and disease specific. The diagnosis and management of sleep disorders in this population are complex, and little high-quality data exist to guide a consistent approach to therapy. Managing sleep disorders in children with NDDs is critical both for the child and for the family but is often frustrating due to the refractory nature of the problem. Sleep hygiene must be implemented as first-line therapy; if sleep hygiene alone fails, it should be combined with pharmacologic management. The available evidence for the use of common pharmacologic interventions, such as iron supplementation and melatonin, as well as less common interventions, such as melatonin receptor agonists, clonidine, gabapentin, hypnotics, trazodone, and atypical antipsychotics is reviewed. Further, parents and caregivers should be provided with appropriate education on the nature of the sleep disorders and the expectation for modest pharmacologic benefit, at best. Additional data from well-designed trials in children with NDDs are desperately needed to gain a better understanding of sleep pharmacotherapy including efficacy and safety implications. Until then, clinicians must rely on the limited available data, as well as clinical expertise, when managing sleep disorders in the population of children with NDDs.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolHumansHypnotics and SedativesNeurodevelopmental DisordersSleep Wake Disorders
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy50/10
Quality60/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations131
Citations/Year14.6
Relative Citation Ratio7.33
NIH Percentile96.3%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score1.80
Normalized Score0.52
Related Supplements
Management of Sleep Disorders in Children With Neurodevelopm... | Panacea Index