How surgery-related inflammation affects brain blood vessels in people with dementia
Immunovascular interactions in postoperative delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD).
This project aims to find how inflammation from surgery harms the brain's blood vessels and leads to sudden delirium in older adults with dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11297670 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
They use a mouse model that mimics delirium after orthopedic surgery to study how the body's immune response causes the blood-brain barrier to break down. The team measures immune signals, vascular cell changes, and brain inflammation, including factors like TNF-α, to trace how peripheral inflammation reaches the brain. Findings are being linked back to what happens in older people with Alzheimer-type dementia who undergo surgery. The goal is to identify specific vascular and immune mechanisms that could be targeted to prevent or reduce delirium on top of dementia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with Alzheimer-type dementia who are planning to have or recently had surgery are the patients most directly relevant to this research.
Not a fit: People without dementia or those whose delirium is caused by non-surgical factors may not directly benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to prevent or lessen postoperative delirium and its severe outcomes in people with dementia.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal experiments and clinical observations have linked blood-brain barrier damage and inflammation to delirium and Alzheimer's, but focusing on post-surgical delirium in dementia is a newer area with promising early results.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Terrando, Niccolo — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Terrando, Niccolo
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.