The role of the lung-brain axis in asthma exacerbations

Abstract

Asthma is a heterogeneous pulmonary disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and chronic inflammation, and affects from 1% to 29% of the population in different countries. The pathogenesis of this disease is multifaceted; in addition to the crucial role of the immune system, its development involves environmental and genetic factors. Asthma is manifested by wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, and characteristic of this disease is that symptoms vary over time and in intensity. Studies have suggested that the special communication, lung-brain axis, has a potential role in the course of pulmonary diseases, including asthma. This term relates to the bidirectional relationship between the brain and the lung, which has communication comprising the central and peripheral nervous systems, the endocrine system, the immunological systems, and microbiota. These elements cooperate to create a complex system of bilateral interactions between the lung and the central nervous system. Our aim of this article was to summarize and organize knowledge about the role of the lung-brain axis during asthma exacerbation, a state which is defined as the worsening of a patient’s symptoms and lung function parameters over a defined period.

Keywords

allergy / asthma / lung-brain axis / atopic diseases / exacerbation

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