Neurologic complications of respiratory disease.

The respiratory and central nervous systems are intimately connected through strict control of ventilation by central mechanisms. The exquisite sensitivity of central chemoreceptors and cerebral blood vessels to changes in central nervous system oxygenation mandate this type of control to maintain proper brain function. When diseases of the lung and respiratory system interfere with this fine balance, neurologic symptoms, sometimes severe, may develop. This article deals with the effects of abnormal ventilation on the nervous system.