Evidence mapPaperPMID 42266145Full record

ReviewBrain and behavior2026

Neurocognitive Aging Following Acute Illness: Pathobiology and a Framework for Developing Neurotherapeutic Agents.

Errin Lawrence, Daniel Fulton, Poppy Brown, Subashini Suresh, Mark Morris, Paraskevi Goggolidou, Sree Chaithanya, Marcus Abbawy, Amelia Wild, Prashant Nasa and 5 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain and behavior, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Errin LawrenceDepartment of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Daniel FultonDepartment of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Poppy BrownDepartment of Critical Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK.
Subashini SureshFaculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
Mark MorrisFaculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
Paraskevi GoggolidouFaculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
Sree ChaithanyaDr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College & Hospital (BRAMC), Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Marcus AbbawyUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Amelia WildUniverstiy of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Prashant NasaDepartment of Critical Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK.
Niharika A DuggalDepartment of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Fang Gao-SmithDepartment of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Zubair AhmedDepartment of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Suresh RenukappaFaculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
Tonny VeenithDepartment of Critical Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this paper is to synthesize current mechanistic insights and translational progress on neurocognitive aging after critical illness and to outline a framework for developing neurotherapeutic drugs for clinical application.

methodThe method includes a narrative, focused review of clinical studies in patients' neurocognitive symptoms after critical illness, such as sepsis, trauma, and burns, reported up to December 2025. Evidence was organized across domains, including acute systemic inflammation (ASI), communication channels to the central nervous system (CNS), neuroinflammation and neural integrity, autoimmunity in critically ill patients, and potential therapeutic targets and strategies. FINDING: Acute illness and inflammatory states, including sepsis, trauma, and burns, can lead to accelerated neurocognitive aging, early-onset cognitive impairment, and memory loss. In acute and critical illness, this is attributed to neuroinflammation, microvascular damage, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, and microglial activation resulting from ASI and immune dysregulation. Current research suggests that it also induces cellular senescence, triggering immune dysregulation and subsequent autoimmunity and autoantibody production, contributing to the progression of neurocognitive aging amid chronic low-grade inflammation and inflammaging. These processes affect the function and integrity of the CNS, leading to neurocognitive decline.

conclusionThis review examined the scientific basis for the development of neurocognitive aging after acute illness and how this information may be used to develop potential targets to modulate inflammatory and immune responses and treat this debilitating condition. Such interventions may reduce the burden of senescent cells, mitigate BBB breakdown, restore immune balance, and enhance the brain's neuroplasticity and resilience.

Indexed as

AgingCognitive AgingCognitive DysfunctionCritical IllnessAcute DiseaseAnimalsBlood-Brain BarrierHumansInflammationNeuroinflammatory Diseasesacute illnesscognitive impairmentimmune responseneurocognitive ageingneuroinflammation

Identifiers

PMID42266145
PMCPMC13250638

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.