# Determinants of Altered Brain Structure and Function in Smokers with COPD-Related Lung Pathophysiology

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2020 · $652,931

## Abstract

SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the 3rd leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US
with increasing prevalence in older adults. The impact of COPD on the brain is an area of expanding research
interest. A staggering 40-60% of patients with COPD have cognitive impairments including deficits in executive
functioning (e.g., decision making), processing speed, and memory. Intact cognition is critical for independently
managing daily tasks (e.g., medication and money management). Since there are currently no treatments to
fully reverse cognitive impairment once it is present, preventing and delaying onset is essential. Given the high
prevalence of COPD, understanding how COPD confers an increased risk for cognitive impairment should be a
top public health priority. There is an urgent need to identify potentially modifiable physiological characteristics
of individuals with early COPD-related pathophysiology who are at risk of developing brain abnormalities. The
earliest changes that occur in COPD are driven by an enhanced chronic inflammatory response that includes
small airway disease in the lung and vascular abnormalities. COPD-related lung pathophysiology can be
measured continuously and is separable from amount of smoking. These physiological changes are often
present in individuals who do not meet traditional criteria for COPD diagnosis and have not yet manifested
significant clinical symptoms. We propose that chronic smokers who are susceptible to COPD and show
evidence of COPD-related lung pathophysiology on lung CT also experience vascular dysfunction (particularly
central artery stiffness) that contributes to structural brain abnormalities and cognitive impairment. The
proposed project will: 1) model the effects of novel physiological mechanisms on the brain in COPD, 2) focus
on changes in brain structure and function early in the development of COPD by including smokers who have
evidence of early COPD-related lung pathophysiology but do not meet traditional criteria for COPD, and 3)
utilize advanced technology to assess the lung (lung CT) and brain (MRI). We will recruit participants with
existing lung CT from ongoing NIH projects to complete pulmonary and vascular measures, cognitive
assessment, and brain MRI. The project is highly multidisciplinary and leverages unique resources at the
University of Iowa including the CTSA supported Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, the
Translational Human Vascular Physiology Lab, the Iowa Neuroimaging Consortium, and the Iowa
Comprehensive Lung Imaging Center.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9928491
- **Project number:** 5R01HL134822-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Karin F Hoth
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $652,931
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-05-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9928491

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9928491, Determinants of Altered Brain Structure and Function in Smokers with COPD-Related Lung Pathophysiology (5R01HL134822-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9928491. Licensed CC0.

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