Kognitive Defizite bei Patienten mit chronisch-obstruktiver Atemwegserkrankung (COPD) Cognitive Deficits in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (CO PD)

Introduction: Patients with COPD present with impairments of their cognitive performance. The present study compares intelligence and memo- ry performance as well as different aspects of at- tention in COPD patients and healthy controls. Additionally, potential factors influencing dayti- me performance are analyzed. Patients and Methods: Neuropsychological tes- ting was performed in 32 patients with COPD and 10 normal controls. The following aspects were evaluated: memory, intelligence, simple, selective and divided attention, sustained atten- tion under stress and under monotonous conditi- ons. Results: There were no differences between COPD patients and normals with regard to divi- ded attention, vigilance and memory. Patients with COPD demonstrated significantly worse re- sults in terms of intelligence (p < 0.0 1) as well as simple (p < 0.01), selective (p < 0.05) and sustai-