Asthma induces psychiatric impairments in association with default mode and salience networks alteration: A resting-state EEG study

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders. There are specific brain networks responsible for emotional processes, including two important networks associated with psychiatric problems: the default mode network (DMN), which is more active in the resting state, and the salience network (SN), which is structurally connected to DMN. Although previous studies suggested that neuro-phenotypes of asthma may be recognizable by the neural activity of brain circuits, an association between the brain's functional alterations and psychiatric impairments induced by asthma remains unknown. We aimed to assess DMN and SN activity and its association with psychiatric indices and clinical parameters in asthmatic patients. Electroencephalography was recorded during the resting state with an awake and eyes-open condition in thirty-eight sex and age-matched subjects (19 atopic asthma patients and 19 healthy participants). Power spectrum and functional connectivity were computed for DMN and SN. We examined psychiatric disorders (including depression, anxiety, and stress) and pulmonary function using the DASS questionnaire and spirometry test, respectively. The results showed that DASS scores were significantly higher in asthmatic patients compared to healthy subjects. Asthmatic patients also demonstrate a significant enhancement in power and functional connectivity in the two networks. Notably, these power enhancements of the networks were correlated with psychiatric problems scores, pulmonary function, asthma duration, and poor asthma control. These results introduce new evidence for the association between altered brain activity, the existence of psychiatric disorders, and asthma-related features, including pulmonary function. Also, we provide new insights into asthma-induced inflammatory response and the importance of developing novel interventions and therapeutic strategies for managing allergic inflammation patients who suffer from concurrent psychiatric disorders.