| Title: | Brain Structural Remodeling and Longitudinal Grey Matter Changes in Adults with Chronic Cough: Evidence from A Large-Scale Longitudinal Population-Based Study |
| Journal: | Chest |
| Published: | 4 Aug 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42551513/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2026.07.5229 |
Publication 21090
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic cough (CC) is increasingly recognized as a hypersensitivity syndrome involving maladaptive neuroregulatory changes, yet large-scale evidence regarding macro-scale structural brain alterations and their longitudinal trajectory remains scarce.</p>
RESEARCH QUESTION: Is chronic cough associated with specific regional grey matter volume alterations and an accelerated rate of brain atrophy over time?</p>
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study utilized individual-level data from the UK Biobank, involving 38,638 participants with baseline brain MRI (4,676 with CC) and a subset of 2,798 participants who underwent repeated imaging. Regional grey matter volume (GMV) across 139 areas was quantified from T1-weighted structural images. Cross-sectional associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression with three prespecified sensitivity analyses evaluating cough duration, medication-related cough, and major comorbid conditions. Longitudinal changes were evaluated using 1:3 propensity score matching and linear mixed-effects models.</p>
RESULTS: Chronic cough was associated with significantly reduced GMV in 63 brain regions, with the strongest associations observed in the right ventral striatum (OR: 0.44 [0.32-0.59]). Sex-stratified analysis revealed more extensive, left-lateralized structural remodeling in females (P-interaction < 0.05). Chronic dry cough was specifically associated with reduced grey matter volume in the bilateral postcentral gyrus (both OR < 1). Furthermore, longitudinal analysis suggested that chronic cough may be associated with a faster rate of GMV decline in seven regions, particularly within the cerebellum.</p>
INTERPRETATION: Chronic cough is associated with significant widespread structural brain alterations and accelerated atrophy within brain regions, supporting the possibility that chronic cough may be associated with dynamic neurostructural change potentially related to altered central neural processing.</p>
10 Authors
- Shuojia Xie
- Mingyu Zhong
- Zikai Lin
- Linzhi He
- Gengjia Chen
- Chen Zhan
- Qingyang Zhang
- Woo-Jung Song
- Jing Li
- Ruchong Chen
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 193953 | Dissecting Risk Factors and Comorbidities in Chronic Respiratory Diseases: An Integrative Epidemiological, Environmental, and Genetic Approach |
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