Preventing Confusion After Heart Surgery with a Special Sleep Medication
Official title: Minimizing ICU Neurological Dysfunction with Dexmedetomidine-induced Sleep (MINDDS II)
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11116932 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | June 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $3,779,978 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG083777-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11116932 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be elderly patients preparing for or recovering from cardiac surgery who are at risk for postoperative delirium.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing cardiac surgery or those who are not elderly may not directly benefit from this specific approach.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson-Akeju, Oluwaseun — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Johnson-Akeju, Oluwaseun
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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.