title: Presence of brain pathology in deceased subjects with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have extrapulmonary co-morbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal wasting and neuropsychological conditions. To date, it remains unknown whether and to what extent COPD is associated with a higher prevalence of brain pathology. Therefore, the aim of this retrospective study was to compare the prevalence of neuropathological brain changes between deceased donors with and without COPD. Brain autopsy reports of age-matched donors with (n = 89) and without COPD (n = 89) from the Netherlands Brain Bank were assessed for demographics, cause of death, co-morbidities and brain pathology. The prevalence of degenerative brain changes was comparable for donors with and without COPD (50.6% vs. 61.8%, p > 0.05). Neoplastic brain changes were reported in a minority of the donors (5.6% vs. 10.1%, p > 0.05). After correction for cerebrovascular accident or cardiac cause of death and Charlson co-morbidity index score, the prevalence of vascular brain changes was higher among control versus COPD donors (27.0% vs. 11.2%, adjusted p = 0.013, odds ratio = 2.98). Brain autopsy reports of donors with and without COPD did not reveal differences in the presence of degenerative or neoplastic brain changes. Vascular brain changes were described more often in controls. Prospective studies including spirometry and structural and functional brain imaging should corroborate our findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Education, CIRO+, Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure, Horn, The Netherlands fionacleutjens@ciro-horn.nl.
authors.forename: Fiona A H M
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Cleutjens
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Education, CIRO+, Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure, Horn, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Spruit
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beckervordersandforth
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Education, CIRO+, Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure, Horn, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frits M E
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Franssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Maastricht UMC+/School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNS), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeanette B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Maastricht UMC+/School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNS), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rudolf W H M
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Ponds
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Education, CIRO+, Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure, Horn, The Netherlands Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Emiel F B
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Education, CIRO+, Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure, Horn, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daisy J A
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: COPD; Netherlands Brain Bank; brain; cognition; hypoxaemia; neuropathology