Authors: Déborah Fuchs-Climent, MD Daniel Le Gallais, MD, PhD Alain Varray, PhD Jacques Desplan, MD Marielle Cadopi, PhD Christian G. Préfaut, MD Affiliations: From the Laboratoire de Physiologie des Interactions (DF-C, DLG, AV, CP), Service Central de Physiologie Clinique, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve; Laboratoire Sport, Santé, Développement (DF-C, DLG, AV), Université Montpellier I, Montpellier, France; UPRES EA Sport (MC, CP), Intervention, Optimisation, Université Montpellier I, Montpellier, France; and La Clinique du Souffle (JD), Osseja, France. Reprints: All correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Déborah Fuchs-Climent, MD, Laboratoire de Physiologie des Interactions, Service Central de Physiologie Clinique, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, 371 Avenue du Doyen G. Giraud, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. 0894-9115/01/8002-0113/0 American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Copyright © 2001 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Factor Analysis of Quality of Life, Dyspnea, and Physiologic Variables in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Before and After Rehabilitation ABSTRACT Fuchs-Climent D, Le Gallais D, Varray A, Desplan J, Cadopi M, Préfaut C: Factor analysis of quality of life, dyspnea, and physiologic variables in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease before and after rehabilitation. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2001; 80:113–120. Objective: To identify the relationships between quality of life (QOL) and the clinical state using factor analysis pre- and postrehabilitation. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from a significant phys- iologic impairment associated with an altered QOL. Comprehensive rehabili- tative programs, including exercise training, have beneficial effects on exercise tolerance and QOL for these patients. Design: Factor analysis (n = 6) was conducted using the data of 32 patients with COPD. Patients had been evaluated for QOL using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), spirometric values, dyspnea, and the variables assessed by an incremental exercise test at three levels of activity. All measurements were obtained pre- and postrehabilitation. Results: Factor analysis showed that the following two factors characterize the pathophysiologic condition of patients with COPD: (1) the specific cardio- respiratory responses to incremental exercise test and the spirometric values; and (2) the QOL results. The factor analysis results differed with the testing time (pre, post) and the level of activity. Conclusions: QOL, as evaluated by a generic questionnaire and the clinical state of patients with COPD, was independent; this independence character- ized the pathophysiologic condition of our patients. Our results reinforce the usefulness of different types of evaluation, especially pre- and postrehabilita- tion, because they reflect independent benefits used to understand the suc- cess and follow-up of rehabilitative programs. Key Words: Quality of Life, Factor Analysis, Rehabilitation, Physiologic Variables February 2001 Factor Analysis in COPD 113 Research Article Chronic Pulmonary Disease