华南师范大学Jiuxing Liang等研究人员合作揭示，阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停-低通气综合征患儿呼吸过程中皮层信息交互的改变。这一研究成果于2024年4月1日在线发表在国际学术期刊《神经科学通报》上。

研究人员旨在阐明儿童阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停-低通气综合征（OSAHS）的病理生理机制，尤其关注呼吸事件发生时大脑皮层信息交互的改变。研究人员分析了事件发生前、发生时和发生后的睡眠脑电图，利用符号传递熵（STE）进行大脑网络构建和信息流评估。结果显示，在N2和快速眼动（REM）阶段，特定频段的STE在事件发生后明显增加，而在N3阶段，STE也有所增加。

此外，在事件发生后，半球内部和半球之间的信息流不平衡也出现了值得注意的上升，显示出中枢性睡眠呼吸暂停和呼吸减弱的独特模式。重要的是，其中一些改变与症状严重程度相关。这些发现突显了呼吸事件发生时大脑区域协调和交流的重大变化，为了解儿童OSAHS的病理生理学提供了新的视角。

据研究人员介绍，OSAHS会严重影响儿童的成长和认知能力。

附：英文原文

Title: Altered Cortical Information Interaction During Respiratory Events in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome

Author: Chen, Jin, Lin, Minmin, Shi, Naikai, Shen, Jingxian, Weng, Xuchu, Pang, Feng, Liang, Jiuxing

Issue&Volume: 2024-04-01

Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) significantly impairs children’s growth and cognition. This study aims to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying OSAHS in children, with a particular focus on the alterations in cortical information interaction during respiratory events. We analyzed sleep electroencephalography before, during, and after events, utilizing Symbolic Transfer Entropy (STE) for brain network construction and information flow assessment. The results showed a significant increase in STE after events in specific frequency bands during N2 and rapid eye movement (REM) stages, along with increased STE during N3 stage events. Moreover, a noteworthy rise in the information flow imbalance within and between hemispheres was found after events, displaying unique patterns in central sleep apnea and hypopnea. Importantly, some of these alterations were correlated with symptom severity. These findings highlight significant changes in brain region coordination and communication during respiratory events, offering novel insights into OSAHS pathophysiology in children.

DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01197-z

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12264-024-01197-z