Background It has been established that in medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) that delirium increases mortality and length of stay (LOS), as well as the risk of dementia and cerebral atrophy after discharge. There is a lack of studies into delirium in the neurointensive care unit (N-ICU) population, and no studies have addressed the association between delirium, quality of life, dementia symptoms and cerebral atrophy in patients with acquired brain injury after discharge from N-ICU. A recent study has demonstrated a correlation between delirium symptoms in stroke patients and quality of life, and functional levels at 3, 6 and 12 months after N-ICU discharge, suggesting that delirium during the acute phase effects the long-term outcome.