Resting-State Cerebral Hemodynamics is Associated With Problem Behaviors in Pediatric Sleep-Disordered Breathing.

OBJECTIVE: Untreated sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with problem behaviors in children. The neurological basis for this relationship is unknown. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess the relationship between cerebral hemodynamics of the frontal lobe of the brain and problem behaviors in children with SDB. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Urban tertiary care academic children's hospital and affiliated sleep center. METHODS: We enrolled children with SDB aged 5 to 16 years old referred for polysomnography. We measured fNIRS-derived cerebral hemodynamics within the frontal lobe during polysomnography. We assessed parent-reported problem behaviors using the Behavioral Response Inventory of Executive Function Second Edition (BRIEF-2). We compared the relationships between (i) the instability in cerebral perfusion in the frontal lobe measured fNIRS, (ii) SDB severity using apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and (iii) BRIEF-2 clinical scales using Pearson correlation (r). A p < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 54 children were included. The average age was 7.8 (95% confidence interval, 7.0-8.7) years; 26 (48%) were boys and 25 (46%) were Black. The mean AHI was 9.9 (5.7-14.1). There is a statistically significant inverse relationship between the coefficient of variation of perfusion in the frontal lobe and BRIEF-2 clinical scales (range of r = 0.24-0.49, range of p = .076 to <.001). The correlations between AHI and BRIEF-2 scales were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: These results provide preliminary evidence for fNIRS as a child-friendly biomarker for the assessment of adverse outcomes of SDB.

Bystanders are less willing to resuscitate out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic may influence the willingness of bystanders to engage in resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We sought to determine if and how the pandemic has changed willingness to intervene, and the impact of personal protective equipment (PPE). METHODS: We distributed a 12-item survey to the general public through social media channels from June 4 to 23, 2020. We used 100-point scales to inquire about participants' willingness to perform interventions on "strangers or unfamiliar persons" and "family members or familiar persons", and compared mean willingness during time periods prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic using paired t-tests. RESULTS: Survey participants (n = 1360) were from 26 countries; the median age was 38 years (IQR 24-50) and 45% were female. Compared to prior to the pandemic, there were significant decreases in willingness to check for breathing or a pulse (mean difference -10.7% [95%CI -11.8, -9.6] for stranger/unfamiliar persons, -1.2% [95%CI -1.6, -0.8] for family/familiar persons), perform chest compressions (-14.3% [95%CI -15.6, -13.0], -1.6% [95%CI -2.1, -1.1]), provide rescue breaths (-19.5% [95%CI -20.9, -18.1], -5.5% [95%CI -6.4, -4.6]), and apply an automated external defibrillator (-4.8% [95%CI -5.7, -4.0], -0.9% [95%CI -1.3, -0.5]) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Willingness to intervene increased significantly if PPE was available (+8.3% [95%CI 7.2, 9.5] for stranger/unfamiliar, and +1.4% [95%CI 0.8, 1.9] for family/familiar persons). CONCLUSION: Willingness to perform bystander resuscitation during the pandemic decreased, however this was ameliorated if simple PPE were available.