title: Temporal complexity in clinical manifestations of lung disease.
abstract: In this review, we summarize results of recent research on the temporal variability of lung function, symptoms, and inflammatory biomarkers. Specifically, we demonstrate how fluctuation analysis borrowed from statistical physics can be used to gain insight into neurorespiratory control and complex chronic dynamic diseases such as asthma viewed as a system of interacting components (e.g., inflammatory, immunological, and mechanical). Fluctuation analysis tools are based on quantifying the distribution and the short- and long-term temporal history of tidal breathing and lung function parameters to assess neurorespiratory control and monitor chronic disease. The latter includes the assessment of severity and disease control, the impact of treatment and environmental triggers, the temporal characterization of disease phenotypes, and the individual risk of exacerbation. While in many cases specific mechanistic insight into the fluctuations still awaits further research, appropriate analyses of the fluctuations already impact on clinical science and practice.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. urs.frey@ukbb.ch
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maksym
authors.forename: Béla
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D017709:Fractals; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D010507:Periodicity; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D012119:Respiration; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D049490:Systems Biology; D018511:Systems Integration; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators