Brain Structures Contribute to Asthma
Reported August 31, 2005

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Could just being exposed to the word "wheeze" make an asthmatic's symptoms worse? That's what researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are saying.

By using functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brains of asthmatics, researchers were able to see which parts of the brain became active when the subjects were exposed to certain triggers. The triggers were simply words: asthma-related (like "wheeze"), non-asthma negative (like "loneliness"), and neutral (like "curtains").

Researchers scanned the brains of six asthmatics. The participants each inhaled ragweed or dust-mite extracts. After exposing the subjects to the allergens and the trigger words, researchers tested for lung function and inflammation.

The researchers discovered asthma-related words got a big response from two areas of the brain -- the anterior cingulated cortex and insula. These two areas of the brain are involved in transmitting information about the physiological condition of the body, like shortness of breath or pain levels.

The researchers conclude that the two areas of the brain stimulated by stressful words may be hyper-responsive to emotional and physiological signals, which may make asthma symptoms worse.

Previous studies show stress and emotional turmoil has a negative effect on people with diseases such as asthma. This is the first study to identify which parts of the brain may be involved in this reaction.