Can Online Therapy Prevent Cognitive Decline in ICU Survivors?

A team of researchers has received funding from the NIH to investigate the effectiveness of online therapy in improving cognitive health among older ICU survivors experiencing depression. () The total NIH-NIA award is expected to be nearly $3.7 million over five years.

The randomized clinical trial – called ADEPT-ICU (Attenuating DEPression with Internet CBT to Slow Cognitive Decline in Older ICU Survivors) – will evaluate an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) called Good Days Ahead to determine if it can slow subjective cognitive decline in older ICU survivors with moderate to severe depression.

Depression affects one-third of patients released from the ICU and is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Researchers believe effective depression treatment could be an impactful tool in the effort to prevent cognitive decline in this at-risk population.

“Given cognitive decline’s significant impact on older ICU survivors, there’s a critical need for innovative and accessible interventions,” said Dr. Khan, a Regenstrief and IU School of Medicine researcher-physician. “Depression presents a promising target for such treatments.”

“There are very few, if almost no, evidence-based treatments for cognitive impairment and depression in older ICU survivors,” said Dr. Wang, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine. “ADEPT-ICU will provide critical information about whether internet-based CBT, a well-established treatment for depression in other populations, could address both depression and cognitive decline in this growing population.”

Good Days Ahead is an evidence-based, therapist-assisted CBT that uses a scalable internet-based platform. The ADEPT-ICU study team will enroll 300 older ICU survivors with moderate to severe depression. To ensure a diverse cohort, at least half of the enrolled patients will identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino or have fewer than 12 years of education. The efficacy of the CBT intervention will be compared to that of an active control.

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“This new clinical trial represents team science at work,” said Dr. Stewart. “It brings together experts in critical care medicine, geriatric psychiatry and clinical health psychology to tackle depression and cognitive decline – common problems in ICU survivors. It also utilizes a digital therapeutic, which can help address the shortage of CBT therapists.”

“If the therapy is successful, it could be an efficacious, accessible and scalable approach to reduce the burden of cognitive decline and improve quality of life in older ICU survivors,” said Dr. Khan.

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Reference:

1. Researchers to study online therapy’s potential to prevent cognitive decline in ICU survivors - (https://www.regenstrief.org/article/therapy-to-prevent-cognitive-decline-icu-survivors/)

Source-Eurekalert