Investigation of the Relationship among Sleep Disorders, Executive Dysfunction, and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Adolescents: A Network Analysis

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship among sleep disorders, executive dysfunction, and sluggish cognitive tempo in adolescents utilizing a network approach. The study was performed based on descriptive-correlation method. The population of study contained all the adolescents (ages 12-18 years) in Tehran, Ardebil, Southern Azerbaijan and Western Azerbaijan provinces during 2021-2022 academic year. Data were collected from Two thousand six hundred and fifty-nine adolescents who were recruited through convenience sampling method. Participants completed the Adult Concentration Inventory (Becker et al. 2015), Sleep Disorders Symptom Checklist (Klingman et al. 2017), and Executive Skills Questionnaire-Revised (Strait et al. 2019). The bootnet package in R software used for data analysis. Results showed Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) was positively and more closely related to Sleep Disorders (insomnia) than Executive Dysfunction. the results showed that the most robust relative bridge connections were Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) and Plan Management (PM), edge weight = 0.33; Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) and Insomnia edge weight = 0.26; in addition to the positive bridge connections, a negative robust connection was also recognized between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Emotional Regulation (ER), edge weight = - 0.07. In conclusion, Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) was positively associated with sleep disorders and executive dysfunction. Future interventions may be developed that emphasize the bridge connections of sleep disorders, executive dysfunction, and sluggish cognitive tempo in adolescents