Journal of International Psychiatry

[Abstract] Objective To explore the relationship between cerebral hemodynamics and cognitive function in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Eighty-two elderly patients with COPD from February 2021 to August 2022 were selected as the study subjects. The cognitive function of patients were evaluated using montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA). They were set as the cognitive impairment group and the non-cognitive impairment group. The general data of age, sex and course of disease between the two groups were compared. Color Doppler ultrasound was used to detect hemodynamic parameters of bilateral middle cerebral artery, including pulsation index (PI), breath holding index (BHI), mean blood flow velocity (Vm), resistance index (RI). The relationship between MoCA score and cerebral hemodynamic parameters were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results Among 82 elderly patients with COPD and 24 patients with cognitive impairment, the age, course of disease and incidence of sleep disorders in the cognitive impairment group were significantly higher than those in the non-cognitive impairment group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in sex and body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05). RI and PI in cognitive impairment group were significantly higher than those in control group, while Vm and BHI were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that RI, PI and BHI were the influencing factors of MoCA score. Conclusion There are obvious changes in cerebral hemodynamics in elderly patients with COPD and cognitive impairment, which are manifested by the increase of distal vascular resistance and peripheral resistance.

Key words Old Age; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Cerebral Hemodynamics; Cognitive Function