Delirium Identification in Older Patients With Alzheimer's and Other Related Dementias In the Emergency Department

Description

Delirium is highly prevalent and very bad for patients with dementia. Delirium is a dangerous medical condition that occurs in 6-38% of older Emergency Department patients and 70% of ICU patients. A person who develops delirium in the ED or hospital has a 12 times higher odds of being newly diagnosed with dementia in the next year compared to a similar patient who does not become delirious. Delirium is especially dangerous for persons living with Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). Persons living with ADRD have an almost 50% chance of developing delirium in the hospital. Clinicians are bad at recognizing delirium. A recent systematic review led by the Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research network (NIH funded) found that current delirium screening tools are at most 64% sensitive, meaning that physicians can identify some phenotypes of delirium well, but cannot easily rule out delirium in acutely ill older patients. The investigators propose integrating wrist biosensors into the emergency management of older adults with dementia. The investigators will monitor heart rate variability, movement, and electrodermal activity (electrical activity of at the level of the skin) to determine if an array of biosensors more sensitive to delirium than current verbal screening tools.

Conditions

Delirium, Dementia, Hospital Acquired Condition

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Delirium is highly prevalent and very bad for patients with dementia. Delirium is a dangerous medical condition that occurs in 6-38% of older Emergency Department patients and 70% of ICU patients. A person who develops delirium in the ED or hospital has a 12 times higher odds of being newly diagnosed with dementia in the next year compared to a similar patient who does not become delirious. Delirium is especially dangerous for persons living with Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). Persons living with ADRD have an almost 50% chance of developing delirium in the hospital. Clinicians are bad at recognizing delirium. A recent systematic review led by the Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research network (NIH funded) found that current delirium screening tools are at most 64% sensitive, meaning that physicians can identify some phenotypes of delirium well, but cannot easily rule out delirium in acutely ill older patients. The investigators propose integrating wrist biosensors into the emergency management of older adults with dementia. The investigators will monitor heart rate variability, movement, and electrodermal activity (electrical activity of at the level of the skin) to determine if an array of biosensors more sensitive to delirium than current verbal screening tools.

Delirium Identification in Older Patients With Alzheimer's and Other Related Dementias In the Emergency Department Using Wrist Accelerometer Biosensors and Machine Learning

Delirium Identification in Older Patients With Alzheimer's and Other Related Dementias In the Emergency Department

Condition
Delirium
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Columbus

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * adults patients 65+ years old with a known diagnosis of dementia or medical team highly suspects or confirms dementia this visit.
  • * Emergency Department visit and/or hospitalization anticipated to last \>4 more hours from the time of enrollment.
  • * Intubation/mechanical ventilation
  • * Patients undergoing a procedure requiring sedation
  • * Patients who cannot consent due to cognitive impairment and do not have a legally authorized representative or caregiver present.

Ages Eligible for Study

65 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Ohio State University,

Edward Boyer, MD, STUDY_DIRECTOR, Ohio State University

Study Record Dates

2025-03-01