What is it about?

Cognitive impairment in the ICU survivors appears to be common, severe and persistent. However, its frequency and time trajectory differ depending on the type of cognitive tests that are used, as well as the cause of critical illness.

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Why is it important?

Cognitive function is one of the best predictors of life quality, including academic and work success, levels of happiness and even life expectancy. Given the expected increase in the number of ICU survivors due to projected increase in the incidence of critical illness and reduction in ICU mortality, ICU-related cognitive impairment is an important public health problem that requires urgent and innovative solutions.

Perspectives

Future studies should focus on developing ICU-specific cognitive batteries that will allow comprehensive cognitive assessment at appropriate time intervals across different causes of critical illness. Such batteries will be critical to establishing the natural history of cognitive impairment (and recovery) in individual patients and determining which acute illness and treatment factors are associated with improved cognitive outcomes.

Marat Slessarev
Western University

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This page is a summary of: Natural History of Cognitive Impairment in Critical Illness Survivors: A Systematic Review, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, February 2020, American Thoracic Society,
DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201904-0816ci.
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