Compromised arterial oxygen saturation in elderly asthma sufferers results in selective cognitive impairment.
Forty elderly patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) were compared to a comparison group of forty age-matched healthy volunteers on a range of measures of cognitive performance, and levels of arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation recorded. Members of the patient group were found to have significantly lower oxygen saturation compared to the comparison group, and performed significantly poorer on tests of delayed word recall and serial subtractions, but not on other tasks. Correlational analysis between participants' oxygen saturation levels and test scores across the whole sample indicated significant positive relationships existed for the digit symbol substitution and serial subtractions tasks. The results are discussed in terms of cerebral oxygen delivery, glucose metabolism, age related cognitive decline, and relative task demands.
Moss
Mark
M
Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, University of Northumbria, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. mark.moss@unn.ac.uk
Franks
Mark
M
Briggs
Pamela
P
Kennedy
David
D
Scholey
Andrew
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology
D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen