Maya Cohen, MD
Awards
Advance RI-CTR Pilot Projects Program (Cycle 10)
“Multimorbidity Subphenotypes and Effects on Post- Intensive Care Physical Impairments”
MULTI-PI: ALESSANDRA ADAMI, PHD
Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is a significant public health concern, affecting the long-term physical, cognitive, and mental health of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. Approximately 40% of these individuals experience persistent physical impairments, such as muscle weakness and reduced exercise capacity, which limit their quality of life and increase healthcare utilization. Multimorbidity, or the presence of multiple chronic conditions, is a growing yet underexplored risk factor influencing PICS outcomes. This project aims to enhance understanding of how multimorbidity affects long-term physical recovery and to develop new tools to better assess these impairments.
The overarching goal of this research is to improve the assessment and management of physical deficits in ICU survivors. To achieve this, the study has two specific aims:
- identify subphenotypes of ICU survivors based on chronic comorbidities and evaluate their associations with physical function outcomes; and
- utilize novel, non-invasive testing methods, including submaximal exercise testing (SET) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based muscle testing, to further characterize cardio-pulmonary and muscle function deficits.
Data will be collected at two critical time points (1- and 6-months post-discharge) through a prospective cohort study at the Center for Advanced Lung Care’s Post-ICU Recovery Clinic. Advanced statistical methods will identify patterns among patient subgroups and evaluate the effectiveness of these novel assessments.