Prevalence of sleep disorders in early-treated phenylketonuric children and adolescents. Correlation with dopamine and serotonin status

Abstract

Phenylketonuric (PKU) patients are a population at risk for sleep disorders due to deficits in neurotransmitter synthesis. We aimed to study the prevalence of sleep disorders in early-treated PKU children and adolescents and assessed correlations with dopamine and serotonin status. We compared 32 PKU patients (16 females, 16 males; mean age 12 years), with a healthy control group of 32 subjects (16 females, 16 males; mean age 11.9 years). 19 PKU patients were under dietary treatment and 13 on tetrahydrobiopterin therapy. Concurrent phenylalanine (Phe), index of dietary control and variability in Phe in the last year, tyrosine, tryptophan, prolactin, and ferritin in plasma, platelet serotonin concentration, and melatonin, homovanillic and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid excretion in urine were analyzed. Sleep was assessed using Bruni's Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Sleep disorders were similar in both groups, 15.6% in control group and 12.5% in PKU group. In PKU patients, no correlations were found with peripheral biomarkers of neurotransmitter synthesis nor different Phe parameters, 43.3% had low melatonin excretion and 43.8% low platelet serotonin concentrations. Despite melatonin and serotonin deficits in early-treated PKU patients, the prevalence of sleep disorders is similar to that of the general population.

Keywords: Dopamine; Melatonin; Phenylketonuria; Serotonin; Sleep disorders.