Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience neurodevelopmental decline over time. They also tend to have short duration, poor quality sleep and elevated fatigue levels. This study measured sleep via actigraphy over one week and cognitive and behavioral measures in 19 children and adolescents with SCD. Aged 7-18 years, the majority of participants were referred for neurodevelopmental testing due to academic or behavioral difficulties. Data was collected from parent report, medical record, and included age, sex, race, SCD genotype, results of neuroimaging studies including brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocities, and current use of hydroxyl urea or chronic blood transfusion. Additionally, parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), participants completed the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and both completed the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.

Periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) are associated with sleep fragmentation and sympathetic nervous system activation, which in turn have been linked to cognitive and behavioral deficits in children and cardiovascular morbidity in both adults and children. Emerging evidence indicates that many children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have elevated PLMS. The specific aims of this prospective, repeated-measures, descriptive study were to assess the agreement between PLMS measurement by actigraphy and concurrent polysomnography (PSG), to test the feasibility of measuring PLMS by actigraphy at home, to evaluate PLMS variability over consecutive nights by actigraphy, and to provide preliminary data on objective and subjective correlates of PLMS. Twenty children with SCD and restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms or polysomnography-documented PLMS underwent concurrent attended polysomnography and ankle activity monitoring over one to two nights and home activity monitoring for three nights. Serum iron and ferritin were measured pre- and post-polysomnography. The datasets associated with this study include demographic data, SCD subtype, polysomnographic/activity monitor values, medical history, and clinical measures.

This study tested a sleep promotion intervention (randomized controlled trial) in children with recently diagnosed central nervous system tumors admitted to the hospital for high dose chemotherapy in preparation for autologous stem cell rescue. We hypothesized that disturbed sleep of hospitalized pediatric oncology patients would be reduced by altering the hospital sleep environment. Therefore, a randomized, attention-controlled sleep intervention was implemented in children and adolescents with central nervous system tumors admitted for 6 days for high dose chemotherapy prior to stem cell transplant. Children and adolescents diagnosed with medulloblastoma or histologically similar tumor, 4 to 19 years and their parent were recruited over 3 years.Questionnaires used to gather the data were: Fatigue Scale-Child, Fatigue Scale-Adolescent, Fatigue Scale-Parent. Data was also obtained using actigraphy.

This study measured circadian activity rhythms (CAR) and fatigue in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on maintenance chemotherapy during the 5 days prior to a pulse of dexamethasone and the 5 days after the start of dexamethasone. CAR was measured via an actigraph worn continuously for 10 days. Fatigue was measured at 4 time points. The fatigue measures used for this study were Fatigue Scale-Child, Fatigue Scale-Adolescent and Fatigue Scale-Parent. The aims of this descriptive study were to compare CAR during the periods before and during dexamethasone therapy, and to explore the hypothesis that less robust CAR was associated with greater fatigue.

This 2-phase study explored the differences in sleep and circadian activity rhythms between adolescents who were within 5 years of completing treatment for any type of cancer and healthy, age-matched controls; and trialed a morning bright light therapy intervention to gather preliminary evidence of its safety, feasibility and outcomes.