Sleep-Wake Disturbances and Fatigue after Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Sleep-wake disturbances (SWD) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) are frequently reported and can persist several years post-injury. The adult literature covering this topic is exhaustive; numerous robust studies using objective measures of sleep and advanced methodologies support the presence of SWD post-TBI. Despite being the leading cause of morbidity in children and adolescents, however, relatively few studies exist investigating SWD and symptoms of fatigue after pediatric TBI. We undertook a systematic search of the literature in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases with the aim of documenting persistent fatigue and SWD after pediatric TBI. Terms and keywords pertaining to TBI, children/adolescents, and sleep/fatigue were used, and of the 461 articles initially identified, 24 studies met our inclusion criteria. According to the results of the literature search, SWD and fatigue are common after pediatric TBI. The methodologies used in the studies reported varied widely, however, and were mainly subjective (e.g., questionnaires and interviews with caregivers). Moreover, no study targeted preschool children despite the fact that there is evidence regarding the critical importance of sleep for appropriate cognitive development, especially in high-order cognitive functioning. In sum, the results of the studies analyzed were consistent with the presence of SWD and fatigue after pediatric TBI, but there is a lack of information concerning this relationship in younger children. The use of more objective measures, such as actigraphy, could bring better insight to the impact of TBI on the quality of children's sleep.