Delirium is a common and serious complication to acute illness, and is characterized by acute disturbances in attention, awareness, and cognition. Dementia is a major risk factor of delirium, and delirium increases the risk of dementia progression and development. As the conditions share both clinical and epidemiological features, some researchers suggest that also pathophysiological links are shared. Understanding delirium pathophysiology, which is poorly understood, may thus help elucidate early molecular mechanisms in dementia.~This study aims to to increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of delirium and molecular links between delirium and dementia, by exploring cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.
The current project aims to measure biomarkers in the cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) and serum samples from patients with delirium. We hope to uncover new insights into the pathophysiology of delirium and explore its link to dementia.