Abstract
Background: To date, it remains unknown whether and to what extent COPD is associated with a higher prevalence of brain pathology. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of neuropathological brain changes between deceased subjects with COPD and deceased controls without COPD using brain autopsy reports.
Methods: This research has been conducted using the The Netherlands Brain Bank. Non-demented donors with a clinical diagnosis of COPD and non-demented age and gender-matched donors without COPD were assessed for demographics, cause of death, comorbidities and brain pathology.
Results: 89 brain donors with COPD (mean age (SD): 77.1 (10.2); 55.1% male; mean Charlson score (SD): 5.2 (2.4)) and 89 donors without COPD (mean age (SD): 77.9 (10.9); 49.4% male; mean Charlson score (SD): 3.9 (2.4)) were included. 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 cardiac cause of death, CVA as cause of death and Charlson comorbidity index score, the prevalence of vascular brain changes was higher among control donors than donors with COPD (27.0 % vs. 11.2%, p=0.013, OR=2.98).
Conclusions: Brain autopsy reports of deceased donors with and without COPD did not reveal a difference in the presence of degenerative or neoplastic brain changes. Interestingly, vascular brain changes were described more often in control donors. Prospective studies including spirometry and brain imaging should be performed to corroborate our findings.
- © 2014 ERS