Beyond the Pulmonary Functions: Altered Cognitive-Motor Performance and Motor Imagery in Children With Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis (BE) is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease characterized by bronchial dilatation and structural damage due to persistent inflammation and infections. While pulmonary impairments in BE are extensively documented, cognitive-motor functions and motor imagery in children with BE remain understudied. This study aimed to evaluate cognitive functions, reaction time, and motor imagery in children with BE compared to healthy controls.

This cross-sectional controlled study involved 20 children with BE (aged 7-18 years) and 20 age-matched healthy controls. Pulmonary functions were assessed by spirometry. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Stroop Test and Trail Making Test (TMT). Reaction times were measured using the Nelson Hand and Foot Reaction Test. Motor imagery abilities were assessed with the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3), Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), and mental chronometry test.

Children with BE exhibited significantly reduced pulmonary function compared to controls (FEV1 64.2% vs. 85.75%, p = 0.003; FEV1/FVC 64.1% vs. 93.2%, p < 0.001). The BE group showed significantly worse error scores than the control group across all subtests of the Stroop Test (p < 0.05), showed impaired cognitive performance particularly in the TMT Part B short form (9.7 s vs. 5.3 s, p = 0.027), and exhibited increased reaction time for foot responses (0.22 s vs. 0.19 s, p < 0.001). Children with BE also showed poorer motor imagery performance than controls, with lower MIQ-3 internal, external, and kinesthetic imagery scores, VVIQ total score, and a higher mental chronometry ratio (p < 0.05).

Children with BE demonstrate impairments in cognitive functions, reaction time, and motor imagery abilities. These deficits suggest the necessity for cognitive assessments and targeted physiotherapy interventions in managing children with BE.