Clinical Trial: ACT-ICU Study: Activity and Cognitive Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: ACT-ICU Study: Activity and Cognitive Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit

Brief Summary: Intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization saves lives but often does so at a high personal cost to ICU survivors who frequently experience significant cognitive impairment and an array of physical and functional disabilities that limit their recovery and quality of life. While the problems experienced by these patients are likely amenable to rehabilitation, few ICU survivors receive focused rehabilitation. Recently, early physical rehabilitation in ICU patients has shown to improve the chances a patient will regain their pre-hospital functional status. Early cognitive rehabilitation for these patients has not yet been explored. This pilot study will determine the feasibility of early cognitive rehabilitation in ICU patients. The investigators will perform cognitive and physical rehabilitation, beginning in the earliest phases of critical illness, to determine the effect of these therapies on cognitive and functional outcomes in ICU survivors. The investigators hypothesize that combined cognitive and physical rehabilitation, started in the ICU, will improve recovery of cognitive and physical function as well as improve quality of life of ICU survivors.

Detailed Summary:

The long-term consequences of critical illness and intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization in ICU survivors are profound and include cognitive, physical, and functional impairments. The purpose of this study is to pilot test a multi-component, cognitive and physical rehabilitation program beginning in the ICU, combined with a 12-week home-based cognitive rehabilitation program following hospital discharge to determine whether participation in a rehabilitation program will result in improved outcomes among ICU survivors. The study will rely on a randomized controlled clinical trial design, with patients assigned to one of three groups: a "usual care" control group, an early physical activity group (without cognitive therapy), or an early cognitive therapy and physical activity group. All individuals in the intervention groups will receive protocolized physical therapy while hospitalized. In addition, individuals in the early cognitive therapy and physical activity group will receive cognitive therapy starting in the ICU and continuing for 12 weeks once a patient leaves the hospital. In-home visits will occur every other week during the 12-week intervention period.

The study's primary outcome is executive functioning (e.g. ability to plan, organize, multi-task) at 3-months following hospital discharge as measured by the Tower Test, a psychometric tool evaluating executive abilities. This has been chosen due to the fact that available research points to the presence of significant deficits in executive functioning among ICU survivors. Secondary outcomes include global cognitive function, physical function and Health Related Quality of Life by assessing scores on the following measures: Katz's ADL, Functional Activities Questionnaire, AD8, Short-Informant Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (if performed), Timed Up &am
Sponsor: Vanderbilt University

Current Primary Outcome: Tower Test [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]

A psychometric measure of executive functioning.


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Timed Up and Go (TUG) [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A timed test assessing physical strength and gait speed.
  • Functional Activities Questionnaire [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief measure of higher order (IADL) functioning.
  • EQ-5 Global Scores [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    The EQ-5 Global Scores is an assessment of quality of life.
  • Katz Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A six-item tool assessing the degree of independence vs. dependence in basic activities of daily living.
  • Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief rating scale that asks participants to rate how confident they are that they can maintain their balance and remain steady while engaged in 16 non-hazardous tasks.
  • AD8 [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief surrogate or patient based measure that assesses recent change in a variety of cognitive abilities.
  • Short-Informant Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (Short IQCODE) [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A measure of cognitive functioning that evaluates the degree of decline from baseline and which is complementary to the AD8. This measure will only be used in patients over the age of 50 who had any problems with memory or thinking prior to current illness.
  • Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A widely used measure of overall cognitive functioning that briefly samples abilities in a wide array of areas including memory and attention.
  • Dysexecutive Questionnaire (Dys Exec) [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A questionnaire, which has both patient and surrogate versions, that assesses patient functioning in a number of functional areas sensitive to executive dysfunction.
  • TRAILS A & B Test [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    Two widely used to test the speed that it takes to connect a series of numbers (Part A) and numbers alternating with letters (Part B).
  • General and Employment Questionnaire [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief series of questions which pertain to patient history and demographics and which also inquire about employment both before and after ICU hospitalization.
  • Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CHSA) Frailty Scale [ Time Frame: 3 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief global rating scale of frailty based on clinical impression.
  • Tower Test [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    A psychometric measure of executive functioning.
  • Timed Up and Go (TUG) [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    A timed test assessing physical strength and gait speed.
  • Functional Activities Questionnaire [ Time Frame: 12 months post-hospital discharge ]
    A brief measure of higher order (IADL) functioning.
  • EQ-5 Global Scores [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    The EQ-5 Global Scores is an assessment of quality of life.
  • Katz Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    A six-item tool assessing the degree of independence vs. dependence in basic activities of daily living.
  • Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief rating scale that asks participants to rate how confident they are that they can maintain their balance and remain steady while engaged in 16 non-hazardous tasks.
  • AD8 [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    A brief surrogate or patient based measure that assesses recent change in a variety of cognitive abilities.
  • Short-Informant Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (Short IQCODE) [ Time Frame: 12 months post hospital discharge ]
    A measure of cognitive functioning that evaluates the degree of decline from baseline and which is comp

    Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

    Information By: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    Dates:
    Date Received: November 2, 2010
    Date Started: February 2011
    Date Completion:
    Last Updated: March 1, 2017
    Last Verified: March 2017