Emotional neural network and its association with reduced physical activity in COPD

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K08186
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: IZUMIZAKI Masahiko 昭和大学, 医学部, 教授 (20398697)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 政岡 ゆり 昭和大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70398692) ; 吉川 輝 昭和大学, 保健医療学部, 講師 (90737355)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: COPD / 機能的磁気共鳴画像 / 接続性解析 / うつ病傾向

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We employed resting-state fMRI to analyze brain functional connectivity (FC) and MRI to measure regional brain volumes in COPD patients and healthy elderly individuals. Our resting-state fMRI results suggest that COPD patients experience alterations in brain networks, as evidenced by decreased FC between the left hippocampus and the right sensorimotor region, as well as between the left and right hippocampi. Path analysis to explore the relationships among respiratory function, regional brain volumes, and psychiatric tendencies revealed that in COPD patients, the model with the highest goodness of fit indicated that a decline in %FEV1 was associated with increased depressive tendencies. This association was mediated by decreases in the volume of the genu of the corpus callosum. These findings suggest that as COPD progresses, atrophy of the genu of the corpus callosum may lead to decreased interhemispheric communication, potentially contributing to a rise in depressive tendencies.

Free Research Field

生理学、呼吸器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、COPDにおける中枢疾患の発症リスクに関する新たな知見を提供するものである。安静時fMRIを用いてCOPD患者の脳内ネットワークの変化を明らかにし、海馬と他の脳領域との機能的接続性の低下が生じていることを示した。さらに、気流閉塞の進展とうつ病傾向の悪化の関係には、脳梁膝部の萎縮が介在することを見出した。これらの知見は、COPDにおける中枢疾患の発症メカニズムの理解を深め、新たな治療アプローチの開発に貢献することが期待される。また、早期発見・早期介入による合併症予防と適切な疾患管理につながる可能性がある。