Oral language skills in Brazilian children with obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with a negative impact on neurocognitive development in children. Receptive/expressive oral language is a complex process, with limited investigations on the repercussion of OSA. This study aimed to analyze receptive and expressive oral language skills in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

METHODOLOGY

This study included 52 children (27 females, 51.92 %) with a mean age of 7 ± 2 years (age range of 4-11 years), which underwent type 3 polysomnography (PSG). The participants were divided into N-OSA (n = 16) and OSA (n = 36) groups based on the apnea-hypopnea index. The speech-language therapist evaluated hearing and oral language for phonology, expressive semantics, syntax, receptive semantics (Peabody Image Vocabulary Test), pragmatics, and understanding of verbal instructions (Token Test).

RESULTS

Oral language assessments showed a difference in the pragmatics subsystem (p = 0.047), with positive correlation between OSA severity and oral language functions such as pragmatics and syntax (desaturation index, p = 0.045).

CONCLUSION

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had a negative impact on oral language skills, including the syntax and pragmatics subsystems.