Improving medication plans after hospital delirium for people with Alzheimer's and related dementias
A targeted analytical framework to optimize posthospitalization delirium pharmacotherapy in patients with Alzheimers disease and related dementias
This project will build data-driven tools to help clinicians safely stop or tailor antipsychotic medicines after a hospital episode of delirium in people with Alzheimer's and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320818 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one with Alzheimer's disease experiences delirium in the hospital, this work aims to use hospital and pharmacy records to learn who can safely stop antipsychotic medicines and when. Because running randomized trials during acute delirium is very difficult, the team will apply advanced statistical and analytical methods to large real-world patient data to reduce bias. They will look for patient features, timing, and outcomes linked to continuing versus stopping these medicines after discharge. The goal is to produce clear, patient-focused guidance to reduce harmful long-term antipsychotic use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who were given antipsychotic medication during a recent hospitalization for delirium, particularly those discharged on these drugs.
Not a fit: People without dementia, those who were never treated with antipsychotics for delirium, or patients who medically require ongoing antipsychotic therapy are unlikely to benefit from the findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce unnecessary long-term antipsychotic use and lower the risk of dangerous side effects for people with dementia after a hospital delirium.
How similar studies have performed: Randomized trials on stopping antipsychotics after delirium are essentially absent and prior observational studies are limited, so this analytical approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Joshua K — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Lin, Joshua K
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.