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Structural brain changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Patients with COPD suffer from dyspnea, but little is known about brain pathology related to dyspnea in these patients. To test for regional gray matter volume (GMV) differences, 30 stable outpatients with moderate-to-severe COPD were compared with 30 gender- and age-matched healthy control subjects. T1-weighted structural brain images were acquired with magnetic resonance imaging and analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. A two-sample t-test between patients and controls included smoker status as covariate. Compared to healthy controls, patients with COPD showed decreased GMV in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC; whole brain family-wise error corrected (FWE) P P P The present results demonstrate reduced gray matter volume in patients with COPD which were partly related to the affective response to dyspnea and activity and might be caused by constant experience of dyspnea. These structural changes were found in brain regions that are comparable to those observed in patients suffering from other unpleasant bodily sensations.