Effect of long-term oxygen therapy on cognitive and neurological dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The aim of this study was to assess effect of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) on the function of central and autonomic nervous system in patients with hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A battery of neuropsychological tests was used together with the Short Test of Mental Status in addition to transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, and five cardiovascular tests as well as a questionnaire on autonomic function. Ten COPD patients, 4 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 65.9 +/- 7.3 (SD) years, were studied at the beginning and after 3 months of LTOT. At start PaO2 was 6.7 +/- 1.1 kPa without oxygen and 9.9 +/- 1.5 kPa after 3 months with oxygen. Our results demonstrate that neuropsychological function, cerebral blood flow velocity and autonomic function were positively influenced after 3 months of LTOT although the changes did not reach statistical significance. The COPD patients were cognitively impaired as compared to age-matched healthy controls. Our findings were consistent with the previous notion of improvement of hypoxic cognitive dysfunction by LTOT.
Department of Medicine. University Hospital of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
A
A
Hjalmarsen
K
K
Waterloo
A
A
Dahl
R
R
Jorde
M
M
Viitanen
D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial