Inflammatory nasal and paranasal sinus diseases are a group of disorders that affect the mucosa of the nasal passages and paranasal sinuses. Such conditions include rhinitis, sinusitis and chronic sinusitis, common conditions characterized by changes in the way mucus drains properly, leading to nasal congestion. Causes difficulty breathing, tearing, and swelling of the area around the eyes; the prevalence of the disease is 16% in the United States alone and 7% in European countries.
Now, research led by scientists at the University of Washington has discovered a link between this condition and changes in brain activity. The research team, led by otolaryngologist Aria Jafari, used data from a group of patients with chronic sinusitis and subjects without sinus inflammation, then compared it with blood flow and neuronal activity in the brain. Interestingly, researchers found that patients with the disease had lower brain connectivity.
“In this case-control study, participants with sinus inflammation showed decreased brain connectivity in an important functional center that plays a central role in regulating cognition. This region also was shown to be involved in introspective and self-referential processing. The regions that were activated were more connected and less connected to regions involved in stimulus detection and response,” the researchers commented in the conclusion of the study published in J .AMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
With this study, the team hopes to help explain some of the common effects of persistent nasal inflammation, including dizziness, difficulty sleeping and concentrating, and fighting depression. As the researchers explain, further future research is needed to determine the applicability of these findings to the larger clinical population of chronic sinusitis.
The research was published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
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