Severe Asthma Linked to Brain Structural Changes

Researchers presented new findings at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona indicating that individuals with severe, poorly controlled asthma exhibit subtle alterations in brain structure when compared with patients whose asthma is well managed. The data were derived from neuroimaging analyses conducted on a cohort of adults diagnosed with asthma, stratified by disease severity and control status.

Magnetic resonance imaging revealed modest reductions in cortical thickness and variations in white‑matter integrity in regions associated with autonomic regulation and emotional processing among the severe‑asthma group. The study controlled for age, sex, smoking history and comorbidities, and the observed differences persisted after adjustment for medication use, suggesting a potential link between chronic airway inflammation and central nervous system changes. These results extend prior respiratory research by highlighting a neurological dimension to asthma severity that has not been widely documented.

The investigators emphasized that the findings are preliminary and warrant replication in larger, longitudinal cohorts to determine causality and clinical relevance. If confirmed, the brain‑structure alterations could inform more comprehensive management strategies for severe asthma, integrating neurological assessment with conventional pulmonary care.