An observational study in Consciousness, Near Death Experience and ICU, sponsored by University of Liege. Recruiting at 1 site in Belgium. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-07-03.
Sponsored by University of Liege · Observational
This single-center observational study aims to describe the incidence of episodes of connected consciousness and disconnected consciousness (including near-death experience (NDE) and out-of-body experiences) in patients who survived a prolonged stay of at least 7 days in the intensive care unit (ICU) and who had at least one episode of pharmacological or non-pharmacological coma. The investigators are also investigating the risk factors related to these episodes of consciousness. A follow-up at six months aims to explore the long-term psychological implications of these episodes.
456 studies on the registry are indexed under Death; 86 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is below the median of 400 across 236 observational studies indexed under Death.
Browse Death studies →University of Liege is the lead sponsor of 251 studies on the registry; 50 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
All adult patients admitted in the ICU
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Diagnostic Test: The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale · Other: Threat perception measure · Other: Interview about the participant's memories of the ICU
Questionnaire to detect occurence of NDE. A NDE is identified if score \> or = 27/80
7 items scale investigating the participant's psychological vulnerability during their stay at the ICU
Participants will be asked to describe any dream, hallucination, or any other unusual experience they can recall from their stay at the ICU. Additionally, the participants will be asked to describe any memory they have of the environment of the ICU, such as the appearance of the room, medical staff, family visiting, noises, etc.
Detection of potential episodes of disconnected consciousness
Near-death experience (using the Near-Death Experience Content scale, min-max: 0-80, with ≥27/80 indicating the presence of a NDE); dream
Time frame: Within the week following discharge from the ICU (max 7 days after)
Detection of potential episodes of connected consciousness
Explicit recall of environmental/external stimuli in the ICU
Time frame: Within the week following discharge from the ICU (max 7 days after)
Risk factors
(Neuro)physiological marker
Time frame: Within the week following discharge from the ICU (max 7 days after)
Psychological vulnerability during the stay at the ICU
Using the Threat Perception Measure, a scale that contains 7 items related to feelings and anxieties perceived by the patient, each scored from 1 to 4, ranging from 1 "Not at all", 2 "A little", 3 "Moderately", and 4 "Extremely", as well as a "don 't remember" category. Min-max: 7-28, with higher scores indicating a higher level of perceived threat
Time frame: Within the week following discharge from the ICU (max 7 days after)
Psychological impact of the stay at the ICU
Any patient who stayed at least 7 days at the ICU is invited to a 6 month follow-up during which they will be presented Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, min-max: 0-42, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome, i.e., more severe symptoms of anxiety or depression), to assess anxiety and depression as well as the Post-Traumatic Stress Assessment Questionnaire (IES-R, min-max: 0-88, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome, i.e., more severe post-traumatic stress symptoms). The investigators will be asking two additional questions to investigate a possible impact on the patient's beliefs. * Question 1: "Since your stay in intensive care, have your beliefs/opinions changed regarding death?". * Question 2: "Has your stay in intensive care modified your fear of health care institutions?
Time frame: At a 6 month follow-up after discharge from the ICU
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Apr 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2027, 21 months after the start.
Of 84 non-industry observational studies under Death, half reached primary completion within 60 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 23 and three quarters within 245. This study's planned 21 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 87 studies reached it within 60 months; a quarter within 23 and three quarters within 245.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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