PRiMe: Cognitive Outcome Following Major Burns
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of functional MRI and neurocognitive testing to investigate nurophysiological changes, cognitive dysfunction and impaired quality of life, following a major burn and critical care admission.
IRAS ID
141150
Contact name
Marcela Vizcaychipi
Contact email
Research summary
This is a novel, proof of principle, observational clinical study. We want to assess for long-term memory problems, associated with functional changes in the brain, following major burns injury and intensive care admission. We will be using cognitive tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate these problems.
We think that memory problems are likely as a result of inflammation in the brain due to the primary burn injury (previously demonstrated in animal models) and subsequent inflammatory insults such as sepsis and surgery. Current evidence already indicates significant levels of memory problems following critical care admissions for other causes and post-operative memory problems. In addition inflammation in the brain is found in Alzheimers Disease.
The survival rate of patients who require admission to intensive care following major burns injury continues to increase with medical advances. These patients are often young, otherwise healthy and have excellent long-term survival rates, but current evidence suggests a reduced quality of life. Memory problems will impact negatively on the individual’s quality of life, and preventative treatment or cognitive management strategies could benefit them.
We want to identify and distinguish between any specific or generalised memory problems using specific memory and higher function tests (neurocognitive testing), and aim to match these changes with structural and physiological changes demonstrated on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain. We will correlate this information with data collected on long term self-assessed quality of life from the same patients.
We will be investigating three groups of patients who have suffered over 15% total body surface area burn injury and who have been admitted to intensive care since 2004; 1-2 years, 2-5 years and 5-10 years post injury. We will compare the results of cognitive tests and fMRI with a healthy control volunteer group who have been matched for age and gender.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0049
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jan 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion