Pilot Study of Early Cognitive Training in the Intensive Care Unit

The purpose of this study is to see how early cognitive training (participation/involvement in activities to stimulate the brain) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) affects the number of patients who experience delirium (confusion) and cognitive impairment (problems with thinking). Reports have shown that 30% to 80% of all ICU patients will have some type of cognitive impairment: remembering, paying attention, solving problems, organizing, and working on complex tasks for some time after they leave the hospital. Occupational therapy will do an assessment after an order is received from the doctor. The patient will be randomly placed into one of two groups. If the patient is in group A then they will continue with occupational therapy as normal. If the patient is assigned to group B then they and the family will have access to an activity cart found there in the ICU unit, directed by the nurses. The family will work with the patient on a daily basis to complete activities that are appropriate for the patient based on the occupational therapist's assessment. All patients in the study will receive medical care as usual. Information about the patient's recovery in the hospital will be collected. In addition, patients and/or their family member will complete surveys at 6 months and 1 year after enrollment to see how they have recovered and if there are continuing issues. The two groups of patients, those who received the early cognitive training and those who did not, will be compared statistically to see if there are any differences in how well they recovered. Since this intervention involving family members working with the patient has not previously been evaluated, the study will also examine the feasibility of conducting these activities in the ICU setting.