LUCIND: profiling respiratory comorbidity in paediatric neurological diseases
5 affiliations
- 1Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- 2Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- 3Department of Paediatric Neurology, Centre for Neuromuscular Disorders in Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- 4Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital Essen-Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
- 5Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
Abstract
Background: Children and adolescents with neurodisability are at high risk of respiratory comorbidity and secondary pulmonary disease due to impaired airway clearance, thoracic restriction, dysphagia and microbial airway colonisation. Despite the clinical relevance of these complications, systematic imaging data on structural lung changes and their clinical correlates in this population remain scarce.
Methods: LUCIND (Lung Comorbidity in Neurological Diseases) is a prospective, cross-sectional imaging study enrolling 150 children and adolescents with neurodisability without primary pulmonary disease. Participants are stratified into three risk-based subgroups (n=50 each): 1) neurodisability with tracheostomy, 2) neurodisability with dysphagia, and 3) neurodisability without dysphagia. The primary objective is to detect chronic structural lung abnormalities such as bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening and consolidations using ultralow-dose photon-counting computed tomography. This technique yields robust morphological data at radiation levels approaching those of conventional radiography. Due to ultra-short acquisition times, imaging is performed without sedation, ensuring high patient safety and feasibility in this vulnerable population. Secondary aims include the correlation of radiological findings with clinical features, such as swallowing function, respiratory infection burden, microbial airway colonisation, and therapeutic measures including airway clearance and antibiotic use. Imaging will be complemented by standardised clinical data, logopaedic assessment, and detailed caregiver questionnaires.
Conclusion: LUCIND will provide a unique dataset to refine our understanding of chronic lung disease in children with neurodisability. Results may inform future risk stratification, early intervention strategies, and optimised clinical pathways, potentially improving both quality of life and long-term respiratory outcomes.
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BibTeX
@article{bernard2026lucind,
title = {{LUCIND: profiling respiratory comorbidity in paediatric neurological diseases}},
author = {Daniel A.F. Bernard and Luca Salhöfer and Florian Stehling and Cathrin Dahl and Ulrike Schara-Schmidt and Anna Pauly and Margarete Olivier and Matthias Welsner and Eva-Maria Huessler and Irma Kollenda and Bernd Schweiger and Sebastian Zensen and Johannes Haubold and Marcel Opitz and on behalf of the LUCIND Working Group},
journal = {ERJ Open Research},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1183/23120541.00081-2026},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00081-2026},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - LUCIND: profiling respiratory comorbidity in paediatric neurological diseases
AU - Daniel A.F. Bernard
AU - Luca Salhöfer
AU - Florian Stehling
AU - Cathrin Dahl
AU - Ulrike Schara-Schmidt
AU - Anna Pauly
AU - Margarete Olivier
AU - Matthias Welsner
AU - Eva-Maria Huessler
AU - Irma Kollenda
AU - Bernd Schweiger
AU - Sebastian Zensen
AU - Johannes Haubold
AU - Marcel Opitz
AU - on behalf of the LUCIND Working Group
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - ERJ Open Research
DO - 10.1183/23120541.00081-2026
UR - https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00081-2026
AB - Background: Children and adolescents with neurodisability are at high risk of respiratory comorbidity and secondary pulmonary disease due to impaired airway clearance, thoracic restriction, dysphagia and microbial airway colonisation. Despite the clinical relevance of these complications, systematic imaging data on structural lung changes and their clinical correlates in this population remain scarce. Methods: LUCIND (Lung Comorbidity in Neurological Diseases) is a prospective, cross-sectional imaging study enrolling 150 children and adolescents with neurodisability without primary pulmonary disease. Participants are stratified into three risk-based subgroups (n=50 each): 1) neurodisability with tracheostomy, 2) neurodisability with dysphagia, and 3) neurodisability without dysphagia. The primary objective is to detect chronic structural lung abnormalities such as bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening and consolidations using ultralow-dose photon-counting computed tomography. This technique yields robust morphological data at radiation levels approaching those of conventional radiography. Due to ultra-short acquisition times, imaging is performed without sedation, ensuring high patient safety and feasibility in this vulnerable population. Secondary aims include the correlation of radiological findings with clinical features, such as swallowing function, respiratory infection burden, microbial airway colonisation, and therapeutic measures including airway clearance and antibiotic use. Imaging will be complemented by standardised clinical data, logopaedic assessment, and detailed caregiver questionnaires. Conclusion: LUCIND will provide a unique dataset to refine our understanding of chronic lung disease in children with neurodisability. Results may inform future risk stratification, early intervention strategies, and optimised clinical pathways, potentially improving both quality of life and long-term respiratory outcomes.
SN - 2312-0541
ER -