• H Zhang, X Wang, J Lin, Y Sun, Y Huang, T Yang, S Zheng, M Fan, and J Zhang.
• Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
• AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2013 Feb 1;34(2):334-9.

Background And PurposeDecreased oxygen supply may cause neuronal damage in the brains of patients with COPD, which is manifested by clinical symptoms such as neuropsychological deficits and mood disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate brain gray matter change in COPD.Materials And MethodsUsing voxel-based morphometry based on the high-resolution 3D T1-weighted MR images of GM volume, we investigated 25 stable patients with COPD and 25 matching healthy volunteers. A battery of neuropsychological tests was also performed.ResultsPatients with COPD (versus controls) showed reduced GM volume in the frontal cortex (bilateral gyrus rectus, bilateral orbital and inferior triangular gyri, and left medial superior gyrus), right anterior insula, cingulate cortex (left anterior and middle gyri, right middle gyrus), right thalamus/pulvinar, right caudate, right putamen, right parahippocampus, and left amygdala. In COPD, in some of these regions, regional GM volume had positive correlations with arterial blood po(2), while in some regions, regional GM volume had negative correlations with disease duration. Patients with COPD (versus controls) had poorer performance in the Mini-Mental State Examination, Visual Reproduction, and Figure Memory tests. Moreover, the GM volume in the inferior triangular frontal cortex in patients with COPD was significantly correlated with the Picture Memory score.ConclusionsOur findings suggest GM reductions in a number of brain regions in COPD, which were associated with disease severity and may underlie the pathophysiologic and psychological changes in patients with COPD.

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