COPD Linked to Structural Changes in Brain Regions Regulating Fear, Breathlessness
A study recently published in the journal Chest found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had decreased gray matter in cerebral areas that process breathlessness, fear, and pain sensitivity. Intrapulmonary inflammatory processes restrict the flow of air in the lungs of people with COPD, and breathlessness is commonly experienced…