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A retrospective study on Rett syndrome identified 4 social profiles that linked longer sleep & REM to less interaction, suggesting shared neuronal circuits for motor, sleep, and arousal.
The following is a summary of “Sleep and the Social Profiles of Individuals with Rett Syndrome,” published in the January 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Zhang et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study through medical records to uncover the social profiles of individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) and chart their relationships with sleep patterns, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and daytime sleepiness.
They recorded overnight polysomnography on individuals with confirmed RTT diagnosis, and caregivers completed the Rett Syndrome Behavioral Questionnaire (RSBQ). Scoring included standard sleep macrostructure and sleep respiratory parameters. Extracting 25 social-related items (max. score 50) from the RSBQ and assessing one item for napping behavior or daytime sleepiness, factor analysis was applied to derive latent social profiles.Social profiles were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, considering the presence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB, defined as apnea-hypopnea index > 1 /h) and daytime sleepiness.
The results showed 12 female RTT subjects with confirmed MECP2 mutations (average age 8.54 ± 5.30 years). The total score averaged 25.83 ± 12.34 (range 8 to 49). A four-factor solution with good internal consistency identified social profiles in the RTT sample, including ‘interactive motricity,’ ‘mood change,’ ‘anxiety/agitation,’ and ‘gazing.’ Longer sleep onset latency correlated with greater socio-behavioral impairments (higher total score), notably reduced interactive motricity. Increased REM sleep was linked to fewer socio-motor behaviors; no score differences were found with SDB or daytime sleepiness in the sample.
They concluded that the RTT study identified 4 social profiles that linked longer sleep & REM to less interaction, suggesting shared neuronal circuits for motor, sleep, & arousal.