SLEEP QUALITY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

• Grant number: 23/16579-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - General Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Luciana Pinato
• Grantee: Isabella Meneses da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is characterized by permanent and non-progressive neurological alterations caused by pre, peri, or postnatal etiological factors that affect the developing brain, resulting in permanent disruptions in tone, posture, and movement at different levels. Although the motor characteristic is emphasized, sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral disorders can also manifest in CP. Among the behavioral aspects, sleep, a biological phenomenon determined by a complex neural network, is also frequently disturbed in this population. Considering that well-characterized sleep disorders can be treated, and their improvement may result in overall health improvement, the aim of this study is to assess the presence of sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, and establish their relationships with melatonin and inflammatory cytokine levels in children with CP. This is a cross-sectional observational study. The sample will consist of 20 individuals diagnosed with cerebral palsy aged 4 to 18 years and 20 individuals with typical development matched by age and sex to the control group. Sleep quality will be assessed using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children and a high-resolution wireless oximeter connected to a mobile device, a type IV polysomnography examination. Salivary cytokine and melatonin levels will be measured using ELISA. Data will be analyzed using SPSS 24.0 software. The t-student or Mann-Whitney test will be used for group comparisons, and Pearson or Spearman correlation tests will be used for correlation analyses. The adopted significance level will be p<0.05.