Distinct brain pathways link depressive symptoms due to respiratory dysfunction and reduced physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A single-center observational pilot study.

ABSTRACT: Mental health issues, such as depression, are increasingly recognized as critical comorbidities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While analyses of individual domains or pairwise relationships among airflow obstruction severity, brain morphological features, and mental health conditions in COPD have provided valuable insights into their direct associations, a more integrative approach may offer additional mechanistic understanding. This study aimed to clarify potential mediators in multiple brain regions between airflow obstruction and depressive tendencies in patients with COPD. We analyzed 19 patients with COPD and 23 age-matched healthy controls. Path analysis was used to evaluate the relationships among respiratory indices, regional brain volumes, and depressive symptoms

SUBMITTER: Sakakura S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12851480 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature