Nosocomial pneumonias and cognitive function in ICU survivors
Official title: Nosocomial pneumonias impair cognitive function
Funded at University of South Alabama · NIH-11401992 · Data updated 2026-11-12
In ICU survivors, this project looks at how pneumonia acquired in the hospital may be linked to long-term thinking and memory problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Alabama NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mobile, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $450,910 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL140182-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401992 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have survived an ICU stay and had nosocomial pneumonia or related critical illness.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without ICU-acquired pneumonia or those not at risk for cognitive changes may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one survived a ICU stay, this research asks how a bacterial pneumonia in the ICU could affect thinking and memory later on. The study uses patient samples and animal experiments to connect pneumonia-related toxins with changes in brain cells and learning ability. It builds on prior findings that toxins in fluid from the lungs and blood may travel to the brain and affect memory circuits. The goal is to understand why delirium during critical illness predicts future cognitive difficulties and to identify mechanisms behind it.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding the link could lead to new strategies to protect brain health after critical illness and pneumonia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows a potential connection between ICU infections and later cognitive changes, with some mechanistic findings in cells and animals.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Alabama
Mobile, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Mike — University of South Alabama
- Study coordinator: Lin, Mike
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How specific anti-NMDAR1 antibodies in the blood may affect memory and brain protection
This research is exploring whether natural or abnormal anti-NMDAR1 antibodies in the blood influence memory, behavior, and brain protection in humans.
-
Mexican Teachers Cohort Study: Genetics and Cognitive Function
A large study using genetic data from Mexican teachers to discover genetic factors linked to memory and thinking in older adults.
-
Genetics and Cognitive Function in Mexican Teachers Cohort for Alzheimer’s Dementia
This grant funds a large study to find genetic factors linked to memory and thinking in Mexican teachers, with the goal of improving understanding of Alzheimer’s-related dementia.
-
How childhood nutrition affects health, thinking, and life outcomes by middle age
This project compares people who got extra nutrition as children with those who did not to understand differences in health, thinking, and life outcomes in middle age.
-
How the brain receptor mGlu1 affects thinking after teen cocaine exposure
This project looks at whether boosting mGlu1 receptor activity can restore brain inhibition and improve memory and flexible thinking after cocaine use during the teen years.
-
Canagliflozin to protect the aging brain and improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease
Aging is linked to Alzheimer’s and this project tests whether the diabetes drug canagliflozin can help brain function and reduce inflammation in older adults with or at risk for Alzheimer’s/dementia.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.