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Chronic rhinosinusitis (nasal congestion with headaches) may be associated with changes in brain activity.
Scientists from the Harvard Medical School, the University of Washington and the University of California (USA) conducted a study with the participation of 44 people, half of whom were a control group that had chronic rhinosinusitis, and the same number - an experimental group whose members did not suffer from this disease.
Participants were analyzed using MRI scans of blood flow in their brains and neuronal activity.
Otolaryngologist Aria Jafari explained that patients with sinusitis do not rush to seek help from specialists, but the disease gradually affects their interaction with the world. It becomes difficult for a person to think, he sleeps poorly, the quality of his life deteriorates.
During the study, it became clear: in those patients who suffered from inflammation of the nasal sinuses, a lower functional connection was noted in the fronto-parietal part of the brain, which is responsible for the concentration of attention during problem solving. They also noticed such dysfunctions as mind wandering, low functional connectivity, low level of social behavior.
The most obvious differences were observed in people with severe forms of nasal congestion. But there were no significant signs of cognitive decline in testing.
Feelings of decreased attention, difficulty concentrating, or sleep disturbances experienced by a person with sinusitis may be due to small changes in the way the areas of the brain that control these functions interact with each other.
According to researcher Khrystyna Simonyan, modern methods of treating this disease can last several years, while the severity of the disease can manifest itself cyclically. Doctors fight this problem with surgery, but they do not guarantee that it will definitely not return.
