Cognitive impairment and clinical characteristics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

We aimed to investigate (1) the relationship between cognitive impairment (CI) and disease severity and (2) the potential differences in exercise performance, daily activities, health status, and psychological well-being between patients with and without CI. Clinically stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, referred for pulmonary rehabilitation, underwent a neuropsychological examination. Functional exercise capacity (6-minute walk test [6MWT]), daily activities (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure [COPM]), health status (COPD Assessment Test [CAT]) and St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire-COPD specific [SGRQ-C]), and psychological well-being (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS], Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], and Symptom Checklist 90 [SCL-90]) were compared between patients with and without CI. Of 183 COPD patients (mean age 63.6 (9.4) years, FEV1 54.8 (23.0%) predicted), 76 (41.5%) patients had CI. The prevalence was comparable across Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades 1–4 (44.8%, 40.0%, 41.0%, 43.5%, respectively, p = 0.97) and GOLD groups A–D (50.0%, 44.7%, 33.3%, 40.2%, respectively, p = 0.91). Patients with and without CI were comparable for demographics, smoking status, FEV1% predicted, mMRC, 6MWT, COPM, CAT, HADS, BDI, and SCL-90 scores. Clinical characteristics of COPD patients with and without CI are comparable. Assessment of CI in COPD, thus, requires an active case-finding approach.