Project 456856

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have an increased work of breathing and this extra effort can make them breathless. Breathlessness is sensed by the brain and can dominate brain processing (cognition) and thus limit multi-tasking. Although we expect this brain processing to be worse when COPD patients are admitted to hospital with a respiratory exacerbation, it may persist after discharge home and thus limit the ability to do essential daily activities. Breathlessness interfering with cognition may contribute to hospital readmissions. The overall research goal is to investigate how breathlessness limits cognition while people with COPD are in hospital due to an acute exacerbation. Secondly, we will determine how breathlessness and cognition affect doing two things at once, and how these attributes that limit daily activities increase falls risk, and hospital readmissions. Patients with COPD will be tested while in hospital during an acute exacerbation and retested 3 and 6 months after discharge home. Their performance measures will be compared to people with stable COPD tested over a similar time period. The evaluation of how breathlessness affects cognition and physical function in COPD patients at the time of hospital discharge and post discharge has never been studied. Often times the inability to perform daily activities is attributed to loss of physical function rather than limited cognition. This study will examine how breathlessness induces a cognitive load that can in turn limit physical activities. A better understanding of the interaction between cognitive and physical function will provide a better understanding of needed home care resources and allow development of novel rehabilitation strategies. Such exercise regimens will focus on multi-tasking - physical exercise and cognitive exercise simultaneously, which have the potential to greatly improve daily function and quality of life.