How surgery-related inflammation affects brain blood vessels in people with dementia
Official title: Immunovascular interactions in postoperative delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD).
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11297670 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,380,185 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1AG079138-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11297670 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with Alzheimer-type dementia who are planning to have or recently had surgery are the patients most directly relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without dementia or those whose delirium is caused by non-surgical factors may not directly benefit from these specific findings.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Terrando, Niccolo — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Terrando, Niccolo
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Commercialization of an EEG-guided anesthesia system to reduce delirium in older adults and those at risk for Alzheimer’s
A new wireless EEG-guided anesthesia system aims to reduce postoperative delirium in seniors and people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s by personalizing brain monitoring during surgery.
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How surgery affects brain function in older adults with dementia.
This study is looking at how surgery affects the brains of older adults with dementia, especially how inflammation from the surgery might lead to confusion or delirium, and it aims to find ways to help these patients feel better after their operations.
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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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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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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.
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Delirium after surgery and its link to Alzheimer's and related dementias
This project looks at why older adults and people with or at risk for Alzheimer's can get delirium after surgery and how that might increase later dementia risk.
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.