Clinical Research Directory

Automating Delirium Severity in the ICU

The goal of this observational study is to develop a passive digital marker (PDM) for delirium severity and examine its performance in comparison to validated delirium severity tools in ICU patients \>50 years of age. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is the trained convolutional neural network able to reliably measure delirium severity. * Is the Passive Digital Marker able to accurately measure delirium severity * Is the Passive Digital Marker acceptable and usable by frontline ICU nurse clinicians, patients, and their identified proxies (i.e., caregivers). Participants will: * Study participation involves a video camera recording you 24 hours per day while you are a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). * Study staff will visit you 4 times each day you are in the ICU. You will be asked questions each time they visit to train the digital marker and see differences between assessments and camera data.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for the Treatment of ICU Delirium

Delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a prevalent and serious neurological complication among critically ill patients, with large multicenter studies reporting an incidence of 30% to 80%, particularly in those requiring mechanical ventilation. Delirium is not only associated with prolonged ICU and hospital stays but also with increased morbidity and mortality. Notably, up to 40% of survivors suffer from persistent cognitive dysfunction that may last for months or even years. Despite current standard pharmacological interventions-such as haloperidol and second-generation antipsychotics-failing to demonstrate significant clinical benefit in phase III trials, non-pharmacological strategies remain challenging to implement due to environmental and operational constraints within the ICU. This unmet clinical need underscores the imperative to develop novel, effective therapeutic approaches. Emerging evidence suggests that ICU-acquired gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of delirium. Dysbiosis can compromise intestinal barrier integrity, promoting systemic inflammation and increasing susceptibility to various forms of delirium, including acute illness-related and postoperative types. These effects are likely mediated through the "gut-microbiota-brain axis," which may represent a central mechanism underlying neurocognitive dysfunction in critical illness. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can restore microbial balance and exert beneficial effects on neurological function. FMT has shown promise in ameliorating cognitive deficits in models of Alzheimer's disease, chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, traumatic brain injury, and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Clinically, FMT has been associated with cognitive improvement in patients with dementia, recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, and sepsis-associated encephalopathy. With expanding applications in both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal disorders, FMT has emerged as a transformative therapeutic modality, supported by robust short- and long-term safety and efficacy data. This study aims to evaluate whether FMT can alleviate delirium severity, correct gut microbiota dysbiosis at 0, 72, and 120 hours post-enrollment, attenuate intestinal barrier dysfunction, reduce systemic inflammation and disease severity, shorten ICU length of stay, and lower rates of ICU mortality, in-hospital mortality, and 28-day all-cause mortality-ultimately positioning FMT as a potential breakthrough intervention for ICU delirium.

Exploring of Serum Biomarkers of Delirium After Cardiovascular Surgery

The incidence of postoperative delirium in patients after cardiovascular surgery is very high, which seriously affects the short-term and long-term prognosis of patients, but its mechanism is not clear. Recent studies have found that lactic acid participates in the process of sepsis by inducing histone lactatation in macrophages. histone H3 lysine 18 lactylation (H3K18la) is significantly associated with the severity of disease and inflammatory response. Inflammation plays an important role in postoperative delirium. We therefore hypothesized that macrophage H3K18la also plays a role in postoperative delirium. At the same time, the latest literature shows that the early markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD), such as Aβ, exosomes and phosphorylated tau, etc. \[5\], can also be detected in the serum of AD patients. Given the obvious correlation between Alzheimer's disease and postoperative delirium \[6\], we hypothesized that serum biomarkers of AD could also be used as serum biomarkers for postoperative delirium. The objectives of this study were to investigate the correlation between H3K18 in serum monocytes and postoperative delirium and its severity in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Meanwhile, we also detect the serum levels of biomarkers of AD, such as Aβ, tau and exosomes etc., in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery. We aim to find the serum biomarkers of delirium after major cardiac surgery, so as to provide a more convenient diagnostic basis for the prevention of postoperative delirium.

Delirium in Neurodegenerative Disease Patients: A Music Therapy Intervention for Hospital Care

In this pilot study a new kind of music therapy will be created and tested to help prevent confusion, called delirium, that can happen in the hospital. This can affect people with brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Each of the anticipated 30 participants will have up to five music therapy sessions. The sessions will be made just for them and may include live music, playing instruments, or listening to recorded music. Surveys will be used to learn how easy the therapy is to do in the hospital and what people think about how helpful the sessions may be for future patients.

Perioperative EEG-Monitoring and Emergence Delirium in Children

Emergence delirium is a significant problem, particularly in children. However the incidence, preventative strategies, and management of emergence delirium remain unclear. Multichannel electroencephalogram is a recognized tool for identifying neurophysiologic states during anesthesia, sleep, and arousal. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the mechanisms and predictors of emergence delirium in children under 16 years scheduled for elective surgery using electroencephalogram. The "Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium Scores (PAED Score)" (Sikich et al. 2004) is used to screen for the occurrence of emergence delirium in the post anesthesia care unit.

Perioperative EEG-Monitoring and Postoperative Delirium in Patients Undergoing Cardiovascular Surgery

Postoperative delirium is common in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery and associated with poor outcomes. However the pathogenesis of postoperative delirium is poorly understood. Multichannel electroencephalogram is a recognized tool for identifying neurophysiologic states during anesthesia, sleep, and arousal. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the mechanisms and predictors of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery using electroencephalogram.

Bedside Bike Early Mobilization Program for Inpatients

Hospital immobility leads to serious complications including muscle loss, weakness, delirium, pressure ulcers, and blood clots. Despite being medically stable, hospitalized patients spend over 90% of their time in bed due to staffing shortages, fall risks, and limited physical therapy availability. Within one week of admission, patients can lose approximately 2% of thigh muscle mass per day, and nearly half develop clinically significant hospital-acquired weakness.The Bedside Bike is a portable, low-resistance exercise device that clamps securely to hospital beds, allowing patients to perform leg and arm cycling exercises safely without leaving their bed. This study will evaluate whether hospitalized patients at Indiana University Health facilities can feasibly and safely use the Bedside Bike to maintain mobility during their hospital stay.This quality improvement study will enroll 80 adult inpatients expected to stay at least 3 days. All participants will receive the Bedside Bike in addition to usual care (standard physical therapy and medical treatment). The study will measure how often patients use the device, whether it is safe (tracking any device-related problems), and whether it may help improve outcomes such as hospital length of stay, functional mobility scores, discharge to home, and rates of hospital-acquired weakness. Participants will have functional assessments at admission and discharge, use the Bedside Bike throughout their hospitalization (targeting at least 15 minutes daily), and be followed for 60 days after discharge to track readmissions, falls, living arrangements, and mortality.

VR Interventions to Reduce the Prevalence of Delirium in ICU Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn the effect of Virtual Reality Family Support System (VRFS) on reducing delirium in ICU mechanically ventilated patients. The main question it aims to answer is: ·Using VRFS for participant intervention, can it reduce the incidence of delirium and improve clinical outcomes? Researchers will investigate whether the implementation of VRFS can reduce the number of delirium days and improve clinical outcomes. Participants will: * Receive the VRFS intervention until the endotracheal tube (ETT) is removed. * Have physiological data collected, including EEG, oxygen saturation levels, ECG, and blood pressure. * Keep a diary of delirium, dosage of sedative and analgesic drugs, the duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU stays.

Regional Nerve Blocks to Improve Analgesia and Recovery in Older Adults Undergoing Spinal Fusion

This initial study is a feasibility study for implementing thoracolumbar interfascial plane, or TLIP, blocks in older adults undergoing spinal fusion. TLIP blocks are done by using anesthesia. In this case, it will be done to either side of the back where surgery will be performed. This has been shown to decrease pain the patients have post-operatively in previous research. In this study, the investigators will examine recruitment rates, completion of assessments, dropout rate, gather patient feedback, and identify barriers to performing TLIP. Further, this feasibility study will provide data to determine adequate sample size and refine methods and outcomes for a future randomized clinical trial. The ultimate goal is to perform a large, appropriately powered randomized control trial to determine the effect of TLIP blocks on pain, physical function and disability, opioid consumption, and delirium in older adult undergoing spinal fusion.

Evaluating Novel Healthcare Approaches to Nurturing and Caring for Hospitalized Elders

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) with a family-augmented version of HELP (FAM-HELP), that includes family members and care partners, for the prevention of delirium in older patients during hospital admission. The main objectives of the trial are the following: 1. To compare the effectiveness of FAM-HELP and HELP in reducing both the incidence of delirium and its severity. 2. To compare the effectiveness of FAM-HELP and HELP in improving patient- and family-reported outcomes. 3. To explore the implementation context, process, and outcomes of the FAM-HELP program in diverse hospital settings.

Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Preoperative Fasting Times Before Elective Procedures

This single-center quality improvement project evaluates preoperative fasting times before elective procedures requiring anesthesiology care. The project aims to reduce prolonged fasting for clear fluids by implementing a local standard operating procedure (SOP) allowing patients to drink clear liquids until being called to the operating room ("drink until called"), supported by staff education and fasting instruction cards. Fasting times and selected perioperative outcomes will be assessed before and after implementation.

Melatonin for Treatment of Delirium in Critically Ill Adult Patients

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with melatonin for treatment of delirium in critically ill adult patients. From a feasibility perspective, the investigators believe that the proposed design will achieve the minimum enrollment rate necessary to conduct a future RCT on a larger scale.

Haloperidol With or Without Chlorpromazine in Treating Delirium in Patients With Advanced, Metastatic, or Recurrent Cancer

This randomized phase II/III trial studies how well haloperidol with or without chlorpromazine works in treating delirium in patients with cancer that has spread to other parts of the body or has come back. Haloperidol and chlorpromazine may control the symptoms of delirium (loss of contact with reality) in patients with cancer.

Effects of Intraoperative Targeted Temperature Management on Incidence of Postoperative Delirium and Long-term Survival

Intraoperative hypothermia is common in patients having major surgery and the compliance with intraoperative temperature monitoring and management remains poor. Studies suggest that intraoperative hypothermia is an important risk factor of postoperative delirium, which is associated with worse early and long-term outcomes. Furthermore, perioperative hypothermia increases stress responses and provokes immune suppression, which might promote cancer recurrence and metastasis. In a recent trial, targeted temperature management reduced intraoperative hypothermia and emergence delirium. There was also a trend of reduced postoperative delirium, although not statistically significant. This trial is designed to test the hypothesis that intraoperative targeted temperature management may reduce postoperative delirium and improves progression-free survival in older patients recovering from major cancer surgery.

Mitigating Delirium With Fluvoxamine Treatment for Non-Cardiac Surgery

The investigation will establish biological plausibility and infrastructure required for a multisite clinical trial evaluating the re-purposing of fluvoxamine to mitigate postoperative delirium risk in geriatric patients undergoing non-cardiac non-intracranial surgery.

Researching Efficient Approaches to Delirium Identification-Sustaining Effective Translation

The goal of this step-wedge trial is to test the implementation of daily nurse screening for delirium in routine care and its impact on outcomes and complications in hospitalized older adults admitted to 6 general medicine/surgery units at 3 hospitals in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * 1\. To test the fidelity, accuracy, and durability of implementing daily nurse screening for delirium using the UB-CAM in routine care. * 2\. To evaluate the impact of UB-CAM delirium screening on patient and care partner centered outcomes assessed at one month follow-up interviews 3. To evaluate the impact of UB-CAM screening on rates of delirium complications (falls, pressure injury, aspiration) and adverse delirium management (psychoactive medication use, restraint use). Participants (patients) will be assessed for delirium on study days 1, 2 and 3 (or until hospital discharge) and will be asked basic demographics. These patients will be contacted by phone 1 month after enrollment to collect information about inpatient facility use and to administer the Delirium Burden Patient Scale. Participants (care partners) will be interviewed at the patient's discharge to complete the Alzheimer's Disease-8 scale. These care partners will be contacted by phone 1 month after enrollment to complete the Delirium Burden Caregiver Scale and to complete a Qualitative Interview which includes questions about communication and collaboration.

Behavioral Economic & Staffing Strategies in the ICU

The overarching goal of this study is to support the "real world" assessment of strategies used to foster adoption of several highly efficacious evidence-based practices in healthcare systems that provide care to critically ill adults with known health disparities. Investigators will specifically evaluate two discrete strategies grounded in behavioral economic and implementation science theory (i.e., real-time audit and feedback and registered nurse implementation facilitation) to increase adoption of the ABCDEF bundle in critically ill adults.

A Phase I Clinical Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetic Profile of Gastrodin Injection in Healthy Chinese Subjects

This is a single-center, double-blind study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics of Gastrodin Injection in healthy Subjects

Lemborexant for Sleep and Delirium Prevention in Elderly ICU Patients

Sleep disturbance is very common among critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), particularly in older adults after surgery. Poor sleep in the ICU is associated with important complications, including delirium, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, prolonged hospital stay, and increased mortality. Current non-drug approaches to improve sleep, such as reducing noise and light and clustering nursing care, may provide limited benefit and are often difficult to implement consistently. Safe and effective drug treatments for sleep in critically ill older patients remain limited. Lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist that promotes sleep by blocking wake-promoting pathways in the brain. Unlike many traditional sleep medications, lemborexant has minimal effects on breathing and has been shown to be well tolerated in older adults with insomnia. However, its effects on sleep and delirium have not been studied in critically ill patients. This study is a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled feasibility and pilot trial conducted in the surgical intensive care unit of Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. The study will enroll 100 critically ill postoperative patients aged 65 years or older who are expected to remain in the ICU for at least 48 hours. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either low-dose lemborexant (2.5 mg) or a matching placebo once nightly for three consecutive nights. All participants will also receive standard non-pharmacologic sleep-promoting care used in the ICU. The main goals of this pilot study are to evaluate the feasibility and safety of administering lemborexant in elderly ICU patients and to explore its potential effects on sleep and delirium. Sleep will be assessed using both subjective questionnaires completed each morning and objective wrist-worn actigraphy to measure sleep duration and sleep stages. Delirium will be assessed twice daily using a standardized delirium screening tool for up to seven days or until ICU discharge. Additional outcomes include medication adherence, adverse events, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU and hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality. The results of this study will provide important preliminary data on the feasibility, safety, and potential benefits of lemborexant in critically ill older adults and will help inform the design of future larger clinical trials aimed at improving sleep and reducing delirium in the ICU.

Clinical Application of Listening to Music to Prevent Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if listening to music can prevent delirium in older adults admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does listening to music increase the number of days participants are alive and free of delirium and coma during a 7-day period? * Is personalized music more effective than generic relaxing music? Researchers will compare Personalized Music and Relaxing Music to Standard Care (no study-provided music) to see if the music intervention improves delirium outcomes compared to usual care. Participants will: * Listen to music through headphones twice daily (morning and afternoon) for at least 30 minutes during a 7-day period (intervention groups). * Receive standard ICU care and undergo daily assessments for delirium and level of consciousness.

The BRAIN Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Study: Bringing to Light the Risk Factors

The primary purpose of this proposal will be to identify potentially modifiable risk factors of long-term cognitive impairment (i.e. development of delirium and exposure to sedative and analgesic medications) in ICU patients. The investigators will quantify the independent contribution of these risk factors to the incidence of long-term cognitive impairment, controlling for other established risk factors including age, pre-existing cognitive impairment, and apolipoprotein E (apoE) genotype. Quantifying the contributions of these modifiable risk factors will pave the way for the development of preventive and/or treatment strategies to reduce the incidence, severity and/or duration of long-term cognitive impairment and improve functional recovery for patients with critical illness.

Illuminating Neuropsychological Dysfunction and Systemic Inflammatory Mechanisms Gleaned After Hospitalization in Trauma-ICU Study

Cognitive skills are essential to live independently, manage finances, maintain employment, and function in society. Loss of these cognitive skills puts a tremendous burden on society as seen with dementias, Alzheimer's disease, and traumatic brain injury. The INSIGHT-ICU Study (Illuminating Neuropsychological dysfunction and Systemic Inflammatory mechanisms Gleaned after Hospitalization in Trauma-ICU Study) is the first comprehensive and longitudinal long-term cognitive impairment study after traumatic injury. The societal impact of long-term cognitive impairment after trauma is immense given that these patients are young and constitute a large proportion of employable adults.

Research on the Development and Validation of an Early Prediction Model for Delirium

Delirium has a high incidence rate and significantly affects patient prognosis. Diagnosis often relies on manual assessment, which is subject to strong subjectivity, high rates of missed diagnosis, and poor stability. This study employs non-contact identification technology based on machine vision analysis to quantitatively analyze characteristic biological feature data such as micro-expressions. It then investigates the correlation between these features and delirium subtypes. By integrating clinical phenotypic data and using machine learning algorithms, a multi-modal early prediction model for delirium is constructed to meet the clinical need for early warning of delirium subtypes and enhance the efficacy of delirium identification.

PupillOmetry for Prediction of DelirIUM

Delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) is a serious event. It is associated with short-term complications (agitation, self-extubation, accidental removal of catheters, prolonged length of stay and ventilation), excess mortality, functional and cognitive impairment. It is particularly frequent in patients requiring mechanical ventilation but diagnosis is not easy. There are screening scales, but it is insufficiently used in clinical practice: Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) or Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). These scales are time consuming and require trained personnel. Automated pupillometry (AP) is a new device to objectively, rapidly, and reproducibly identify acute brain dysfunction. Recent data suggest that AP could be used to predict delirium in the ICU. This would need to be validated for routine use in the ICU. Evaluate AP parameters on day 3 of invasive mechanical ventilation as a predictive tool for CAM-ICU diagnosed delirium during the first 14 days of ICU stay. Study design: Prospective, multicenter, non-interventional cohort Measurement of the AP parameters at day 3 after ICU admission and their predictive performance for delirium: pupillary diameter, variation of the pupillary diameter, pupillary constriction speed, pupillary dilatation speed, photomotor reflex latency, NPi and symmetry of pupillary responses.