Abstract: Objective    To explore the possible mechanism of cognitive function deterioration in children with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS). Methods    The behavior problems and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured in 40 children with OSAHS and 22 children with habitual snoring who underwent overnight polysomnography. 22 healthy children served as the control group. Results    The ratio of abnormal behavior in OSAHS and habitual snoring children was higher than that in healthy group(P<0.01), while there was no difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The content of BDNF in OSAHS and habitual snoring children was lower than the healthy group(P<0.01), while there was no difference between the two groups (P>0.1). The content of BDNF in OSAHS children accompanied by abnormal behavior was lower than that without abnormal behavior(P<0.01), and the difference was also found in habitual snoring children(P<0.05). Conclusion    OSAHS and habitual snoring children have more behavior problems, BDNF levels are lower in children with OSAHS and habitual snoring, and the levels of BDNF are related to the abnormal behavior in these children.

Key words: Children, Sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome, obstructive, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Behavior disorder