Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Socioemotional Adjustment and Life Quality

The relationships between hypoxemia and neuropsychologic functioning in patients are consistent with earlier reports that oxygen treatment may improve mental abilities’ and EEGs’ in selected COPD patients.

Abstract

Clinical reports and previous studies have suggested that COPD patients experience negative changes in mood and social behavior similar to those found in studies of chronic hypoxia. 1 Fishman DB Petty TL Physical symptomatic and psychological improvement in patients receiving comprehensive care for chronic airway obstruction. J Chron Dis. 1971; 24: 775-785 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar , 2 Krop HD Block AJ Cohen E Neuropsychologic effects of continuous oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chest. 1973; 64: 317-322 Crossref PubMed Scopus (124) Google Scholar , 3 Van Liere EJ Stickney JS Hypoxia. Chicago, University of Chicago Press1963 Google Scholar , 4 Grant I, Heaton RK, McSweeny AJ, et al: Brain dysfunction in COPD. Chest Google Scholar , 5 Waskow IE Parloff MB Psychotherapy change measures. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.1975 Google Scholar , 6 Bergner M Bobbit RA Pollard WE The sickness impact profile: validation of health and status measure. Med Care. 1976; 14: 57-61 Crossref PubMed Scopus (690) Google Scholar Unfortunately, a truly comprehensive assessment of the effects of COPD on emotional functioning, social adjustment and related aspects of life quality does not yet exist. In light of this fact, the investigators in the Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trials (NOTT) agreed that a comprehensive assessment of life quality would be appropriate and indeed crucial in the evaluation of oxygen therapy.