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Autonomic Dysfunction: A Possible Pathophysiological Pathway Underlying the Association Between Sleep and Obesity in Children At-Risk for Obesity

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Abstract

While mounting evidence suggests that sleep plays an important role in the etiology of obesity, the underlying pathogenic pathways are complex and unresolved. Experimental sleep deprivation studies demonstrate sympathovagal imbalance, indicative of diminished parasympathetic activity and/or heightened sympathetic activity, is consequent to poor sleep. Further, obese children exhibit sympathovagal imbalance, particularly during the night, compared to non-obese children. The question remains whether sympathovagal imbalance is one potential pathophysiological pathway underlying the association between sleep and obesity. The aim of the present study was to examine whether sympathovagal imbalance contributed to the association between sleep and obesity in children. Participants included 564 children aged 10 to 12 years (M = 11.67, SD = 0.95; 43.5 % girls) from the QUALITY Cohort, a longitudinal study of children at-risk for the development of obesity. While children were at-risk due to confirmed parental obesity status, 57.7 % of children were of normal body mass index (5–85th percentile). Sleep duration, sleep timing, and sleep disturbances were based on child- and parent-report. Anthropometrics were measured for central adiposity (waist circumference) and body composition (body mass index, fat mass index). Sympathovagal imbalance was derived from heart rate variability spectral analyses. Estimated path coefficients revealed that sympathovagal imbalance partially contributed to the association between poor sleep (later bedtimes, sleep-disordered breathing) and obesity. These findings highlight the importance of better understanding sympathovagal imbalance and its role in the etiology and maintenance of obesity. Future research should consider investigating nocturnal sympathovagal balance in youth.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

CSHQ:

Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire

DEXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

ECG:

Electrocardiogram

FFT:

Fast Fourier Transform

HF:

High frequency

LF:

Low frequency

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (J. McGrath OCO-79897, MOP-89886, MSH-95353; D.C. Jarrin BO512201). The QUALITY Cohort is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (M. Henderson #MOP-119512; M. Lambert #OHO-69442, #NMD-94067, #MOP-97853), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (#PG-040291), and Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. Dr. Marie Lambert (July 1952–February 2012), pediatric geneticist and researcher, initiated the QUALITY Cohort. Her leadership and devotion to QUALITY will always be remembered and appreciated. Sincere thanks to the dedicated QUALITY Cohort staff, especially Catherine Pelletier (Coordinator), Ginette Lagacé, Natacha Gaulin-Marion, and Hugues Charron, without whom this research would not be possible. Finally, we are grateful to all the families that participate in the QUALITY Cohort.

Conflict of interest

None to disclose.

Author contributions

The QUALITY Cohort Collaborative Group designed and coordinated the study and collected measurements at clinic visits. J.J.M. and P.P. planned the study design and analysis of the ECG recordings. D.C.J. performed the statistical analyses. D.C.J. and J.J.M. conceived the research question, interpreted the findings, and wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. École de psychologie, Centre de recherche Université Laval Robert-Giffard, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada

    Denise C. Jarrin

  2. Pediatric Public Health Psychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada

    Jennifer J. McGrath

  3. Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec & Faculté de pharmacie, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050 avenue de la Médecine, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Paul Poirier

  4. Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Local 3732, 3175 chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada

    QUALITY Cohort Collaborative Group

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  1. Denise C. Jarrin
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  2. Jennifer J. McGrath
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  4. QUALITY Cohort Collaborative Group
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer J. McGrath.

Additional information

The QUALITY (QUebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth) Cohort Collaborative Group is an inter-university research team from Université de Montréal, Concordia University, Université Laval, McGill University, and University of Toronto including (alphabetical): Tracie A. Barnett, Arnaud Chiolero, Vicky Drapeau, Josée Dubois, Katherine Gray-Donald, Melanie Henderson (PI), Marie Lambert (posthumous), Émile Lévy, Marie-Eve Mathieu, Katerina Maximova, Jennifer J. McGrath, Belinda Nicolau, Jennifer O’Loughlin, Gilles Paradis, Paul Poirier, Catherine M. Sabiston, Angelo Tremblay, and Michael Zappitelli.

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Jarrin, D.C., McGrath, J.J., Poirier, P. et al. Autonomic Dysfunction: A Possible Pathophysiological Pathway Underlying the Association Between Sleep and Obesity in Children At-Risk for Obesity. J Youth Adolescence 44, 285–297 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0235-3

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