Relationship between burden of cerebral small vessel disease on imaging and cognitive impairment of COPD patients

Objective

This study aims to explore the relationship between the burden of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) on imaging and cognitive impairment (CI) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

The study included 118 COPD patients admitted to Changxing People’s Hospital between July 2020 and July 2023. All patients received a 1.5 T MRI of the brain and pulmonary function tests. A cognitive function assessment was conducted via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale, and patients were divided into two groups. The relationship between the MoCA and CSVD burden score was analyzed by Pearson correlation, and to identify risk factors, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed.

Results

The study showed a negative correlation between the MoCA and CSVD burden score in COPD patients (r=-0.479, P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that age (OR=2.264, 95 % CI: 1.426–3.596, P<0.001), COPD grade (OR=3.139, 95 % CI: 2.012–4.898, P<0.001), as well as CSVD burden score (OR=5.336, 95 % CI: 1.191–23.900, P<0.001) were the independent risk factors for CI in COPD patients (P<0.05).

Conclusion

When screening for cognitive impairment in COPD patients, the CSVD burden score can be used in conjunction with cognitive assessment scales to make judgments.