title: Short term oxygen therapy effects in hypoxemic patients measured by drawing analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic hypoxemia has deleterious effects on psychomotor function that can affect daily life. There are no clear results regarding short term therapy with low concentrations of O2 in hypoxemic patients. We seek to demonstrate, by measuring the characteristics of drawing, these effects on psychomotor function of hypoxemic patients treated with O2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients (7/1) M/F, age 69.5 (9.9) yr, mean (SD) with hypoxemia (Pa O2 62.2 (6.9) mmHg) performed two drawings of pictures. Tests were performed before and after 30 min breathing with O2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stroke velocity increased after O2 for the house drawing (i.e. velocity 27.6 (5.5) mm/s basal, 30.9 (7.1) mm/s with O2, mean (SD), p<0.025, Wilcoxon test). The drawing time 'down' or fraction time the pen is touching the paper during the drawing phase decreased (i.e. time down 20.7 (6.6) s basal, 17.4 (6.3) s with O2, p<0.017, Wilcoxon test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that in patients with chronic hypoxemia, a short period of oxygen therapy produces changes in psychomotor function that can be measured by means of drawing analysis.
authors: Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1); TALP Research Center, UPC, Barcelona, Spain(3). Electronic address: jafiz@msn.com.
authors: José Antonio
authors: JA
authors: Fiz
authors: Escola Universitària Politècnica de Mataró, Tecnocampus Mataró, Spain(2). Electronic address: faundez@eupmt.es.
authors: Marcos
authors: M
authors: Faundez-Zanuy
authors: TALP Research Center, UPC, Barcelona, Spain(3). Electronic address: enric.monte@upc.edu.
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Monte-Moreno
authors: Escola Universitària Politècnica de Mataró, Tecnocampus Mataró, Spain(2). Electronic address: roure@tecnocampus.cat.
authors: Josep Roure
authors: JR
authors: Alcobé
authors: Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1). Electronic address: fandreo@separ.es.
authors: Felipe
authors: F
authors: Andreo
authors: Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1). Electronic address: gomezmendezrosamaria8@gmail.com.
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Gomez
authors: Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1). Electronic address: jruizmanzano.germanstrias@gencat.cat.
authors: Juan Ruiz
authors: JR
authors: Manzano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019295:Computational Biology; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Drawing analysis; Psychomotor function; Respiratory hypoxemia