Preventing Confusion After Heart Surgery with a Special Sleep Medication
Minimizing ICU Neurological Dysfunction with Dexmedetomidine-induced Sleep (MINDDS II)
This project looks at whether a medication called dexmedetomidine can help prevent confusion and memory problems in older patients after heart surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11116932 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many older patients experience confusion, called delirium, after heart surgery, which can lead to longer hospital stays and potentially long-term memory issues similar to Alzheimer's disease. Current methods to prevent this confusion are often difficult to put into practice. This project is testing a medication called dexmedetomidine, which helps patients sleep, to see if it can safely and easily reduce the risk of this confusion. Researchers will compare patients receiving dexmedetomidine to those receiving a placebo or standard care to understand its effects.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be elderly patients preparing for or recovering from cardiac surgery who are at risk for postoperative delirium.
Not a fit: Patients not undergoing cardiac surgery or those who are not elderly may not directly benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a simple and effective way to prevent postoperative delirium and potentially reduce the risk of long-term cognitive problems for patients undergoing heart surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous pilot work has shown promising results regarding dexmedetomidine's potential, but large-scale randomized trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness for preventing postoperative delirium.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson-Akeju, Oluwaseun — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Johnson-Akeju, Oluwaseun
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.