The effect of neurosurgical intervention and neurological damage on the perception of dyspnoea
type: CreativeWork
description: Dyspnoea is a complex and unpleasant sensation that can have a severe impact on a person’s quality of life. Evidence for there being distinguishable types of breathlessness arising from distinct neural networks has been produced, and experimental models have also been produced to reproduce these sensations in healthy individuals. Current knowledge of the cerebral mechanisms has been gleaned predominantly through the use of brain imaging studies, however alternative methods also present opportunities to further elucidate the mechanisms behind intractable dyspnoea in ways that brain imaging cannot. Aim: The ultimate purpose of this thesis was to investigate the cerebral mechanisms behind breathlessness using neurological populations. Using deep brain stimulation (DBS), it is a primary aim of this thesis to further investigate the role of different brain structures in dyspnoea perception, specifically ‘air hunger’ which is a particularly unpleasant form of breathlessness often experienced by those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). An additional aim was to investigate whether neurological damage in the form of Parkinson’s disease, and glioma of the insular cortex alters the perception of breathlessness. Methods: (i) Experimental air hunger was induced in participants with deep brain stimulation of the motor thalamus to assess whether perception of dyspnoea is changed when stimulation is turned ON compared to when it is turned OFF. Experimental air hunger was also induced in one patient with low grade glioma to explore the impact of this damage on the insular cortex. (ii) A validated tool for measuring breathlessness called the Dyspnoea 12 questionnaire was utilised in patients who were breathless at rest and whom had DBS of the motor thalamus or the STN. This questionnaire was completed with their stimulation turned ON and turned OFF. This same questionnaire was also used to assess dyspnoea in individuals in the community with Parkinson’s disease to det…
abstract: Dyspnoea is a complex and unpleasant sensation that can have a severe impact on a person’s quality of life. Evidence for there being distinguishable types of breathlessness arising from distinct neural networks has been produced, and experimental models have also been produced to reproduce these sensations in healthy individuals. Current knowledge of the cerebral mechanisms has been gleaned predominantly through the use of brain imaging studies, however alternative methods also present opportunities to further elucidate the mechanisms behind intractable dyspnoea in ways that brain imaging cannot. Aim: The ultimate purpose of this thesis was to investigate the cerebral mechanisms behind breathlessness using neurological populations. Using deep brain stimulation (DBS), it is a primary aim of this thesis to further investigate the role of different brain structures in dyspnoea perception, specifically ‘air hunger’ which is a particularly unpleasant form of breathlessness often experienced by those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). An additional aim was to investigate whether neurological damage in the form of Parkinson’s disease, and glioma of the insular cortex alters the perception of breathlessness. Methods: (i) Experimental air hunger was induced in participants with deep brain stimulation of the motor thalamus to assess whether perception of dyspnoea is changed when stimulation is turned ON compared to when it is turned OFF. Experimental air hunger was also induced in one patient with low grade glioma to explore the impact of this damage on the insular cortex. (ii) A validated tool for measuring breathlessness called the Dyspnoea 12 questionnaire was utilised in patients who were breathless at rest and whom had DBS of the motor thalamus or the STN. This questionnaire was completed with their stimulation turned ON and turned OFF. This same questionnaire was also used to assess dyspnoea in individuals in the community with Parkinson’s disease to det…
author: Golding, Charlotte Georgia
language: en
date published: 2020
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:43:42Z
provider: Oxford Brookes University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Oxford Brookes University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.24384/v0ww-9543