Digital marker to measure delirium severity in ICU patients
Official title: Prospective Evaluation of the Automated CAM-ICU-7: A Digital Marker for Delirium Severity in the ICU
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11445921 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Mayo Clinic-led study will test a passive digital tool to measure how severe delirium is in adults in the ICU, with the goal of helping clinicians intervene earlier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $835,279 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG094841-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11445921 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years or older who are critically ill and in the ICU, particularly those at risk for delirium or ADRD.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without delirium risk or who are not in the ICU may not benefit from this marker.
What this research studies
This project follows aging adults in the ICU over time to see if a new passive digital marker (PDM-Del) consistently and accurately reflects delirium severity. The approach uses digital signals collected without extra tests to provide just-in-time information to clinicians. By validating this measurement, the study aims to support earlier, targeted mitigation strategies and potentially protect cognitive health after critical illness. The work addresses a major gap in monitoring delirium, which is linked to faster cognitive decline and higher risk of Alzheimer’s-related conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians could detect delirium severity more reliably and act sooner to improve patient outcomes and long-term cognitive health.
How similar studies have gone: Delirium monitoring improvements have shown benefits in ICU care, but a validated passive digital marker is still being established.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lindroth, Heidi — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Lindroth, Heidi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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READI-SET-GO: Improving Delirium Screening for Hospitalized Older Adults
A hospital-based program tests how well routine nurse delirium screening using UB-CAM works when integrated into the electronic health record to improve outcomes for older patients.
-
Continuous wearable monitor with AI to prevent agitation and delirium in hospitalized older adults
A wearable sensor and AI system will continuously track agitation in older hospital patients to help prevent delirium and protect brain health.
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Low brain changes from anesthesia may signal early Alzheimer's risk
A study at Stanford will look at whether brain responses to anesthesia during surgery reveal early brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease and delirium risk in people aged 65 and up.
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Why dementia and sudden confusion (delirium) often happen together
This project looks at brain electrical signals and chemical changes to find why people with dementia sometimes develop sudden confusion called delirium.
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AKI-related delirium after heart surgery
This grant funds research to understand why some people develop delirium after heart surgery when they also have acute kidney injury.
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Lipocalin-2 and delirium after surgery in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
A study at Duke University looks at how an inflammatory protein called lipocalin-2 may trigger delirium after surgery, especially in people at risk for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.