Sleep and Traumatic Brain Injury in Children
Description
The presentation will review the neurobiology of sleep in children, sleep disturbances following TBI, and the role of sleep in recovery after TBI.
Sleep and Circadian Biology Implications in Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurocritical Care*
Date: September 16, 2025
Time: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Room: Kent A - C (Fourth Floor Level)
Track: Traditional Special Interest Group (SIG)
Session Description
The session will discuss evidence from current clinical and translational research on the impact of sleep and circadian biology on traumatic brain injury and/or critical neurologic injuries, including how these injuries can adversely affect patients’ sleep in the short and long term. This session will review the physiologic role of sleep in brain health and neurodevelopment in children and adults, as well as the crucial role of sleep in injury repair mechanisms. Additionally, the session will examine the role sleep disturbances play in secondary brain injury during hospitalization, with or without neurocritical care, and after discharge.
Sleep disturbances are linked to chronic pain, cognitive impairment, and worse psychosocial outcomes in individuals of all ages after traumatic brain injury and/or neurocritical care. These disturbances may offer a modifiable target to improve recovery across health domains. Children hospitalized with mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury suffer a myriad of long-term morbidities in physical, cognitive, emotional, and social health domains. Among these children, over half report sleep disturbances, with the majority exhibiting problems falling and staying asleep. However, the causes of sleep disturbances are often multifactorial, multiple sleep phenotypes often coexist, and few interventions to treat sleep disturbances have been evaluated in children. This is important, as sleep is vital to brain health in children, including neurodevelopment, and for healing after injury.
Sleep and circadian disturbances are common and serious consequences during and after critical neurologic injuries and ICU admission. There is also a growing body of evidence on the profound impact of sleep and circadian disruption on neurocritical care patients’ outcomes, which underlines the need for further research to better understand the short and long-term effects of neurocritical care on individuals’ sleep and circadian rhythms. This characterizes a complex and compelling potential target for improving outcomes of neurocritical care.
The goal of the session is to enhance learners’ understanding of the impact of sleep and circadian biology on critical neurologic injuries, including traumatic brain injury. By better understanding the short and long-term effects of acute neurological injury on patients’ sleep and circadian rhythms, preventive measures and mitigating strategies may have a major impact on the outcomes and quality of life of individuals with acute brain injury.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, attendees should be able to:
- Discuss the common and serious sleep and circadian disturbances during and after neurocritical care, as well as following a traumatic brain injury.
- Discuss how to use the understanding of the short and long-term consequences of critical and traumatic neurological illness on sleep and circadian rhythm to improve systems of care for patients.
- Discuss preventive measures and mitigating strategies that may have a major impact on the outcomes and quality of life of individuals with acute brain injury.
Speakers
- (Speaker) Cydni Williams, MD, MCR
- (Speaker) Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD, FANA
- (Speaker) Aaron Gusdon, MD (SIG Oral Presenter)
- (Speaker) Maral Sakayan, MD, MS (SIG Oral Presenter)
Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Critical Care: Implications for Patient Recovery and Outcomes
Description
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Speakers
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Description
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Description
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