Abstract
Background: Hand dexterity is important for daily living activities and can be related to cognitive functions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and hand dexterity in patients with COPD. Methods: 35 COPD patients and 36 healthy individuals were assessed. The Minnesota Hand Dexterity Test and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used for assessment of cognitive function and hand dexterity. Results: Hand dexterity test scores and cognitive function of COPD patients’ were significantly lower than the healthy group (p < 0.01). The MMSE scores were negatively correlated with hand dexterity scores in the COPD group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There was a relationship between cognitive function and hand dexterity in the patients with COPD; however, hand dexterity did not alter according to hypoxemia severity. Hand dexterity which is important in daily living activities should be evaluated in greater detail with further studies in COPD patients.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no declaration of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.