Abstract
To study the predictive relationships among age, pulmonary function, aerobic fitness, and cognition in people with COPD. Observational study conducted during baseline testing with COPD patients who volunteered to participate in an exercise intervention. Older adults (age, 56 to 80 years) with COPD. Age, depression, education level, aerobic fitness, blood oxygen saturation levels, and pulmonary function were assessed. Participants were randomly assigned to take cognitive tests of (1) fluid intelligence, (2) processing speed and working memory span, or (3) processing speed and inhibition. After controlling for education and depression (F(2,57) = 7.43; r(2) = 0. 21), performance on the 6-min walk (F(1,56) = 15.27; r(2) = 0.17) and age (F(1,55) = 7.52; r(2) = 0.08) were significant predictors of fluid intelligence. On the speed-of-processing task, performance on the 6-min walk (F(1,30) = 8.17; r(2) = 0.20), maximum voluntary ventilation (F(1,29) = 5.81; r(2) = 0.16), and age (F(1,28) = 5.26; r(2) = 0.10) were significant predictors. FVC was a significant predictor (F(1,25) = 6.37; r(2) = 0.18) of working memory span. The ability to inhibit a response was not significantly predicted by any of the variables assessed. In an older COPD sample, age, aerobic fitness, and pulmonary function are predictive of cognitive performance on various tasks. In particular, age and aerobic fitness are predictive of speed of processing, which is a cognitive variable that may itself underlie performance on a majority of cognitive tasks.
Highlights
Study objectives: To study the predictive relationships among age, pulmonary function, aerobic fitness, and cognition in people with COPD
While many of these authors looked at the relationship between arterial oxygenation and cognitive performance in these COPD samples, none of these studies looked at the role that aerobic fitness may play in this relationship
The results indicated that exercise level was a significant predictor only for the cognitive factor simple motor, which included a tapping task and grip strength
Summary
Study objectives: To study the predictive relationships among age, pulmonary function, aerobic fitness, and cognition in people with COPD. Conclusions: In an older COPD sample, age, aerobic fitness, and pulmonary function are predictive of cognitive performance on various tasks. Age and aerobic fitness are predictive of speed of processing, which is a cognitive variable that may itself underlie performance on a majority of cognitive tasks. Older individuals who have COPD may be affected in three ways that are relevant to cognitive functioning They may experience age-related declines in blood flow, disease-related declines in arterial oxygen content, and both age- and disease-related declines in physical activity. The combination of these three factors makes this population an interesting one to study to glean information about the relationship between aerobic fitness, arterial oxygen content, and cognitive functioning. While many of these authors looked at the relationship between arterial oxygenation (as assessed with PaO2) and cognitive performance in these COPD samples, none of these studies looked at the role that aerobic fitness may play in this relationship
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