Understanding the causes and effects of delirium in older adults
Official title: Delirium Dynamics: Understanding Causes and Effects
Funded at Northwestern University at Chicago · NIH-11083115 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how changes in sleep and daily rhythms might affect confusion and awareness in older adults with delirium, and it hopes to find new ways to help manage these symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $718,465 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG078261-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11083115 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are hospitalized adults aged 65 and older who are experiencing symptoms of delirium.
✕Less likely to help
Patients under 21 years old or those without delirium symptoms may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates delirium, a condition that causes confusion and changes in awareness, particularly in older adults. It aims to understand how fluctuations in sleep patterns and circadian rhythms may influence the severity and duration of delirium symptoms. By using continuous monitoring tools, the study will track these changes in real-time to identify potential new treatments. The goal is to bridge the knowledge gap regarding the dynamic nature of delirium and its relationship with sleep disturbances.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments for delirium, enhancing recovery and quality of life for older patients.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been studies on delirium and sleep disturbances, this research employs novel continuous monitoring techniques, making it a potentially groundbreaking approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kimchi, Eyal Yaacov — Northwestern University at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Kimchi, Eyal Yaacov
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
READI-SET-GO: Improving Delirium Screening for Hospitalized Older Adults
A hospital-based program tests how well routine nurse delirium screening using UB-CAM works when integrated into the electronic health record to improve outcomes for older patients.
-
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.
-
Low brain changes from anesthesia may signal early Alzheimer's risk
A study at Stanford will look at whether brain responses to anesthesia during surgery reveal early brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease and delirium risk in people aged 65 and up.
-
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.
-
AKI-related delirium after heart surgery
This grant funds research to understand why some people develop delirium after heart surgery when they also have acute kidney injury.
-
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.
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.