Oxygen Therapy may Help Fight Dementia in Patients with Lung Disease

Brain's blood vessel function improves when additional oxygen is administered in dementia patients suffering from lung disease, reports a study. The findings of the study are published in Experimental Physiology.

Research showed that //people with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at a higher risk of dementia due to lower brain oxygen levels as a result of problems with blood supply in the brain.

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‘Oxygen therapy improves neurovascular function and oxygen delivery in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients which reduces the risk of diseases like mild cognitive impairment, stroke, and dementia.’

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The study proved that oxygen therapy improves cerebral oxygen delivery and neurovascular function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

This improvement in cerebral oxygen delivery and neurovascular function might provide a physiological link between oxygen therapy and a reduced risk of cerebrovascular diseases like stroke, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia, in COPD.

In the study, the team, including Ryan L. Hoiland, from the University of British Columbia, used ultrasound to view and measure blood flow in the brain in patients at rest, before and during delivery of this additional oxygen. Oxygen was delivered through the nasal passage for 20-30 minutes.

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They also tested the link between brain activity and blood flow in the brain. Participants began this test with their eyes shut, having to open them to read a standardized text.

Pairing these ultrasound measures with a measurement of blood oxygen levels allowed authors to estimate how much oxygen delivery to the brain increased during the reading test.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD includes respiratory tract disorders that cause obstruction to airflow. These are chronic bronchitis, emphysema and small airway disease.

The research team found that blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain was significantly increased during reading. This was due to blood vessels in the brain becoming dilated in response to the greater oxygen demand when the brain was active.

However, this study does not indicate the influence of long-term oxygen therapy on the function of blood vessels in the brain, the researchers noted.

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Source-IANS