Shedding light on the mechanisms of asthma and response to bronchial thermoplasty using novel imaging techniques

Bronchial thermoplasty is a treatment option for people with severe asthma. Despite its proven clinical benefits, how bronchial thermoplasty works has been fraught with controversy. Critics claimed its success was just a placebo effect as lung function test failed to show improvement. This thesis uses advanced lung imaging to prove that bronchial thermoplasty works by correcting uneven airflow deep within the lungs, and that these changes are undetectable by lung function test. We also demonstrate the ongoing relevance of bronchial thermoplasty in the fast-changing landscape of asthma management where powerful injectable medications dominate.