Fluvoxamine to reduce delirium after non-cardiac surgery
Official title: Mitigating Delirium with Fluvoxamine Treatment for Non-Cardiac Surgery (MD FluNCS): Feasibility Trials & Mechanistic Insights
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11189815 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project gives fluvoxamine around non-cardiac surgery to adults with Alzheimer-type or related dementias to try to lower the chance or severity of postoperative delirium.
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 start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $107,129 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AG086855-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11189815 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (age 21 and older) with Alzheimer disease or related dementia who are scheduled for non-cardiac surgery would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People not undergoing non-cardiac surgery, those with contraindications to fluvoxamine, or those unable to attend follow-up visits are unlikely to benefit from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, you would receive fluvoxamine around the time of your non-cardiac surgery and be closely monitored for safety and delirium symptoms. The team will take blood samples to measure inflammatory markers like IL-6 and record brain activity with EEG to look for changes linked to delirium. This is a multisite feasibility effort to determine whether perioperative fluvoxamine is practical, acceptable, and safe for patients with dementia while collecting early mechanistic data. Follow-up visits will record side effects, possible drug interactions, and any episodes or duration of delirium.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce postoperative delirium and its complications in people with Alzheimer-type or related dementias.
How similar studies have gone: A few case reports and animal studies suggest fluvoxamine can reduce inflammation and help delirium-like states, but there are no large randomized trials confirming benefit yet.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palanca, Ben Julian — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Palanca, Ben Julian
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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.