title: Microstructural change of the brain in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a voxel-based investigation by MRI.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive deficit is a common problem in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate if MRI can demonstrate microstructural volume loss and the diffusion anisotropic change in subjects with COPD, compared with cognitively normal (CN) subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six subjects with severe COPD, 13 with moderate COPD, and 12 CN subjects underwent isotropic volumetric T1-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Voxel-based statistical analyses among groups were performed on brain volumes, fractional anisotropy (FA) and trace. Cognitive function tests were performed in all subjects, and the Cognitive function tests (CFT) scores were compared among the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant regional difference in volume was found in both the severe and moderate COPD groups relative to the CN group. Comparing between severe COPD and CN, FA was reduced in both the cerebral cortices, and in frontoparietal periventricular white matter. The trace value of the severe COPD group was significantly higher in the cerebral cortices, and in frontoparietal periventricular white matter, than that of the CN group. The severe COPD group showed significantly lower scores in the language-related, visuospatial, and frontal executive functions compared to those of the CN and moderate COPD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that COPD could affect the axonal integrity in multiple brain regions, and change in DTI might be related with the severity of the COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. md.cwryu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Chang-Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Geon-Ho
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Jahng
authors.forename: Cheon Woong
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hak Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Min-Ji
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eui Jong
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woo-Suk
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016880:Anisotropy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*