Fluvoxamine to prevent delirium after non‑cardiac surgery
Mitigating Delirium with Fluvoxamine Treatment for Non-Cardiac Surgery (MD FluNCS): Feasibility Trials & Mechanistic Insights
Seeing if taking the antidepressant fluvoxamine around non‑cardiac surgery can lower inflammation and reduce the chance or severity of postoperative delirium in adults, including those with Alzheimer‑type dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11383660 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would take fluvoxamine around the time of a planned non‑cardiac surgery to see if it helps prevent delirium. The team will run multisite feasibility trials to test safety, side effects, and whether people are willing to join a larger study. Researchers will measure blood markers of inflammation (like IL‑6) and brain activity changes with EEG to understand how the drug might work. The study will track symptoms, adverse effects, and interactions with other medications common in older adults.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults, especially older adults with Alzheimer‑type or related dementias who are scheduled for non‑cardiac surgery, would be the intended participants.
Not a fit: People having cardiac surgery, those who cannot safely take fluvoxamine because of drug interactions or allergy, or those not undergoing surgery are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower the risk or severity of delirium after surgery and help protect thinking and recovery in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: There are supportive animal studies and case reports suggesting fluvoxamine may reduce inflammation and help delirium, but no large randomized trials have proven this approach yet.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palanca, Ben Julian — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Palanca, Ben Julian
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 below.