Prevalence and risk of sleep disturbances in adolescents after minor head injury

• Published in: Pediatric neurology 2003-08, Vol.29 (2), p.131-135
• Main Authors: Pillar, Giora, Averbooch, Eran, Katz, Neri, Peled, Nir, Kaufman, Yuval, Shahar, Eli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Child; Craniocerebral Trauma - complications; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Parents; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - etiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
• ISSN: 0887-8994; 1873-5150
• DOI: 10.1016/S0887-8994(03)00149-8

Sleep disturbances were reported in patients during the acute stage after minor head injury, and for some of these patients, the disturbances may become chronic. The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of the long-term sleep disturbances in adolescents after minor head injury. Unselected adolescents (98) who had experienced a minor head injury 0.5–6 years before the institution of the study and 80 matched control subjects were interviewed and completed a detailed questionnaire. The prevalence of sleep disturbances was significantly larger among adolescents who experienced minor head injury compared with the control subjects (28% versus 11%, P < 0.05). Within the study group, those who developed long-term sleep disturbances manifested a greater body mass index (20.8 ± 4.0 vs 18.4 ± 2.8 kg/m 2, P = 0.005) and poorer parental education (fathers 11.0 ± 4.0 vs 13.4 ± 3.0 years, mothers 11.8 ± 3.3 vs 13.2 ± 2.9 years, P < 0.05 for both), compared with those who did not develop sleep disturbances. Our data indicate that subjective sleep disturbances may be evident in a fairly high percentage of adolescents after minor head injury, up to 28%, suggesting that minor head injury may not be as benign as previously estimated. Risk factors include heavier body mass and poorer parental education.