Inflammatory and Genetic Predictors of Cognitive and Emotional Recovery After Critical Illness

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Conditions studied: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), Critical Illness

In brief

Survivors of critical illness frequently develop persistent cognitive and emotional impairments, known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which substantially impact quality of life and long-term recovery. While prior research has mainly focused on identifying risk factors, the mechanisms underlying resilience to these sequelae remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that biological factors, including inflammatory responses and genetic vulnerability, together with cognitive reserve, may play a key role in shaping recovery trajectories. The aim of this multicenter, prospective observational study is to investigate how cognitive reserve, inflammatory phenotype, and genetic profiles interact to influence cognitive and emotional recovery after critical illness. Adult patients will be recruited at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission across two centers in Spain. Clinical and sociodemographic data will be collected during the ICU stay, and biological samples obtained early after admission will undergo transcriptomic and genetic analyses. Cognitive and emotional outcomes will be assessed at hospital discharge and at 3 and 12 months post-discharge using standardised neuropsychological and telemedicine-based evaluations. By integrating clinical, biological, and cognitive data, this study seeks to identify recovery phenotypes and resilience mechanisms in PICS. The results may contribute to improved risk stratification, inform personalized interventions, and support the development of future strategies aimed at reducing the long-term burden of critical illness.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07659431
Run by: Corporacion Parc Tauli
People needed: 114
Starts: 2026-07-01
Expected to finish: 2028-06-01
Last updated by the study team: 2026-06-22

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Adult patients (≥18 years)
Admitted to a medical-surgical ICU or cardiac ICU for causes of critical illness (e.g., acute pulmonary oedema, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection)
With or without the need for invasive mechanical ventilation
With an expected ICU stay of ≥48 hours
Resident in Catalonia or the Principality of Asturias
Who speak Catalan and/or Spanish
Who are able to provide informed consent personally or through an authorised representative (e.g., a family member)

You may not qualify if…

Non-authorisation by the patient and/or relatives for inclusion in the study
Patients admitted to a neurocritical ICU
History of severe neurological disease (including dementia or focal brain injury with functional and cognitive impairment) prior to ICU admission
History of severe psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder)
Intellectual disability (IQ <80) or other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder
Patients who develop secondary complications (e.g., infections, stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other non-transient acquired brain injury) after ICU discharge that may compromise the results of emotional and neuropsychological evaluations during the recovery phase
Moderate to severe cognitive impairment (Short-IQCODE >57) preventing independent participation in telemedicine or face-to-face follow-up
Readmission to the ICU within 12 months after ICU discharge
Language barrier (non-Spanish- and/or non-Catalan-speaking patients)
Patients with a life expectancy <1 year or not eligible for active treatment measures

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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