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Childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cognitive and behavioral problems, and treatment with adenotonsillectomy is often recommended. To examine the efficacy of surgical intervention, researchers randomized 464 children (age range, 5–9 years) diagnosed with OSA by polysomnography to receive adenotonsillectomy or watchful waiting. Severely obese and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder–medicated children were excluded.
The primary outcome — change in attention and cognitive function as measured by the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment at 7 months after randomization — did not differ between the two groups. Caregiver, but not teacher, behavior ratings were significantly better following adenotonsillectomy comp…