Neural Mechanisms in Asthma

Neural Mechanisms by Which Chronic Stress Regulates Inflammation in Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects nearly 13% of adults in the U.S., causing substantial impairment that is reflected in the tens of millions of missed days of work, and doctors' and emergency room visits it leads to annually. Those who have asthma are twice as likely to develop depression and anxiety, which are associated with more frequent and severe asthma symptoms, especially in those under chronic stress. The project proposed here seeks to understand the role of the brain in these associations and to evaluate the neural mechanisms through which a safe, low-cost intervention, that influences the function of body via the mind, may diminish the expression of asthma symptoms.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Asthmatics:

  • Physician diagnosed asthma with previous use of asthma medication

• Controls:

  • negative skin-prick test to cat dander or house dust mite and have no history of asthma

• Chronic Stress:

  • score 3 or above on any subscale of the UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) chronic stress interview

No chronic stress:

score 1.5 or below on all subscales of the UCLA chronic stress interview

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with severe asthma, or those whom currently require the use of corticosteroids
• Individuals with significant medical problems
• Individuals who smoke cigarettes
• Individuals a previous adverse reaction to corticosteroids, a recent (< 1 month) viral illness, a history of severe asthma or anaphylaxis.
• Breastfeeding women or women who are, suspect they might be or are trying to become pregnant