title: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with altered neuropsychological performance in young adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subjects with ischemic lesions have an increased risk of dementia. In addition, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment share many risk factors. These observations suggest that different diseases that cause altered blood perfusion of the brain or hypoxia promote AD neurodegeneration. In this case-control, cross-sectional study, we sought to test the hypothesis that hypoxia facilitates cognitive decline.
  
  
  METHODS
  We looked for altered neuropsychological performance in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) without apparent cardio- or cerebrovascular diseases or risk factors for atherosclerosis. A selected, homogeneous group of workers from two ceramic factories in a small town of central Italy was enrolled in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The COPD patients had a slightly, but significantly worse performance than controls in a number of neuropsychological tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings are consistent with the working hypothesis that chronic hypoxia facilitates cognitive decline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Carolis
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giubilei
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caselli
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casolla
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavallari
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanacore
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leonori
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Scrocchia
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fersini
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quercia
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orzi