title: Cognitive function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: relationship to global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease 2011 categories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, comorbidities such as impaired cognitive function have been attracting more focus when considering the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here we investigated the relationship between cognitive function and the categories given in the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines in 2011. Specifically, after controlling for non-COPD covariates, we assessed the clinical features that may be predictive of cognitive impairment in patients with COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 119 stable patients with mild to very severe COPD. We administered a broad array of standardized neuropsychological tests that assessed cognitive functions in the domains of attention, memory, psychomotor coordination and language.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cognitive scores were significantly different between patients falling within GOLD 2011 categories. Scores were lower in patients with high future risk compared with low future risk. In parallel, there were significant differences in cognitive function between COPD patient subgroups when patients were grouped according to the forced expiratory volume in 1 s, exacerbation history and C-reactive protein levels. After controlling for non-COPD predictors, only exacerbation history remained a significant predictor of cognitive scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of exacerbation events in a year may be used as a predictor of cognitive impairment in patients with COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Baykal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tulek
authors.forename: Nart Bedin
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.forename: Gulfem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Fikret
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kanat
authors.forename: Mecit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Süerdem
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000145:classification* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Mini Mental State Examination; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cognitive function; exacerbation