The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is hosting a two-day virtual workshop titled Tackling Brain and Muscle Dysfunction in ARDS Survivors Virtual Workshop on Thursday, April 27, and Friday, April 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET.

The brain and muscle system have been increasingly recognized as major target organs in ARDS survivors. ARDS survivors display a high prevalence of cognitive impairment: 70–100% at hospital discharge, 46–80% at 1 year, and 20% at 5 years. Clinically apparent skeletal muscle weakness occurs in up to 60% of critically ill patients. Survivors of ARDS also experience substantial impairments of body function, including muscle strength, walking capacity and/or physical activity, between 6 months and 2 years after discharge from ICU. More importantly, ARDS develops in 42% of patients presenting with COVID‐19 pneumonia, and COVID-19 survivors also develop fatigue or muscle weakness (37.5%) and cognitive impairment (17.1%). Thus, there is an unmet need in the clinical management of ARDS survivors and an urgent need for novel intervention strategies for these patients.

Although emerging data suggest that neuroinflammation and muscle wasting contribute to brain and muscle dysfunction in ARDS survivors, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of the pathophysiology of this area.

The long-term objective of this workshop is to evaluate critical knowledge gaps, key barriers, and research opportunities in understanding the pathophysiology of brain and muscle dysfunctions in ARDS survivors.

Workshop Date(s):

Zoom Meeting

Thursday, April 27, 2023: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET
Friday, April 28, 2023: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET

The workshop is free and will be recorded. Zoom access details will be emailed to the registrant one (1) day in advance of the workshop.

Individuals with disabilities who need sign language interpreters and/or reasonable accommodation to participate should contact the NHLBI Workshop Support team at NHLBIWorkshopSupport@nih.gov at least five days before the event.

FINAL AGENDA

EVENT PAGE

PROGRAM BOOK