Graduates
Dr. Diana Grigsby-Toussaint
Title: The impact of green space utilization on sleep and mental health of children
Summary: Pediatric mental health is a major public health concern in Rhode Island and across the US. In Rhode Island, approximately 19% of children under the age of 17 have mental health challenges that can adversely affect their development, education, peer relationships, and physical health. Sleep is an increasingly recognized contributor to mental health and well-being. In children, inadequate sleep has been linked to diminished mental and physical health and disruptions in circadian rhythm. For example, children with mental health problems such as ADHD are more likely to have short sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness, and bedtime struggles. Improving sleep and mental health is particularly important as children lay their academic foundation during early elementary years.
Greenspace may play an important role in promoting sleep, mental health, and wellbeing. Exposure to greenspace—broadly defined as various forms of outdoor vegetation—has been linked to mental and physical health benefits for children, including improved psychological well-being. Greenspace has also been associated with improved sleep patterns among adults. More work is needed to understand the association of greenspace with both mental health and sleep outcomes among children.
Christopher Houck, PhD, Mentor
COVID-19, green space exposure, and mask mandates
Mask-wearing and social distancing are critical prevention measures that have been implemented to stem the spread of COVID-19. The degree to which these measures are adhered to in the US, however, may be influenced by access to outdoor resources such as green space, as well as mask mandates that may vary by state.
Project G-SPACE: protocol for exploring the influence of green space on sleep and mental health among children
The prevention of pediatric mental health disorders is a growing health priority in the United States. While exposure to green space, such as outdoor vegetation, has been linked with improved mental health outcomes in children, little is known about the impact of green space on children’s sleep. Sleep has many benefits, but the factors affecting both sleep and mental health as they relate to green space exposure are not well understood in children. This study aims to investigate how green space can affect sleep in children and contribute to the promotion of mental health and wellbeing. Nature and Health Newsletter December 2024
Kids are not getting as much sleep as their parents think, study finds
In this article, former COBRE investigator Dr. Grigsby-Toussaint discusses findings from a recent study which found that parents may be over-estimating the number of hours of sleep their children are getting, with Latino children averaging fewer hours than non-Latino children. Recommendations to improve sleep hygiene are discussed.
Dr. Jared M. Saletin
Title: Sleep and circadian timing: mechanisms of daytime sleepiness and impaired cognition in ADHD
Summary: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects nearly 1 in 10 children and is among the most impairing of childhood disorders, particularly in its impact on learning. Poor sleep is commonly reported in children with ADHD. Despite the potential for sleepiness to impair daytime function, little is known about whether and how physiological sleepiness per se may contribute to waking behavior in children with ADHD. Moreover, how sleep and circadian regulatory processes are impacted by ADHD is unclear. These gaps limit development of mechanism-based treatments targeting sleep. In this COBRE project, we propose two mechanistic targets within the sleep regulatory domain that link daytime sleepiness (objectively measured with the multiple sleep latency test [MSLT]) and daytime function in children with ADHD via altered brain excitability.
While excessive daytime sleepiness and ADHD symptoms often go hand in hand (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea), conventional assessments of sleepiness in ADHD are challenging because hyperactive behaviors may mask fatigue. Moreover, there is a need to understand which aspects of sleep and arousal regulation are involved and what neural mechanisms link sleepiness and ADHD. We hypothesize that daytime sleepiness in children with ADHD arises from abnormalities in two sleep-wake regulatory processes: (1) failure of sleep homeostasis to fully discharge sleep need at night and/or (2) phase delay of the intrinsic circadian rhythm. The former would lead to morning sleepiness, while the latter would foster excessive alertness near bedtime. We propose that these homeostatic and circadian changes alter intrinsic brain excitability which contributes to manifest sleepiness and behavioral impairments. Precise laboratory measurements (e.g., measuring circadian phase by dim light melatonin onset, DLMO) are needed to assess these complex interrelated hypotheses.
Our long-term goal is to identify mechanisms through which altered sleep and circadian rhythms contribute to conditions such as ADHD, with an eye to future interventions.
Yuka Sasaki, PhD, Mentor
Dr. Anastacia Kudinova
Title: The interplay of nighttime rumination, social media use, and sleep and circadian timing: Examining associations with suicidal ideation in youth
Publications