Sarah J Richardson1, Daniel H J Davis2, Giuseppe Bellelli3, Wolfgang Hasemann4, David Meagher5, Stefan H Kreisel6, Alasdair M J MacLullich7, Joaquim Cerejeira8, Alessandro Morandi9. 1. Institute of Neuroscience,3rd floor Biomedical Research Building,Campus for Ageing and Vitality,Newcastle University,Newcastle upon Tyne,NE4 5PL,UK. 2. University College London,MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL,London,UK. 3. School of Medicine and Surgery,University of Milano-Bicocca,Milan,Italy. 4. Practice Development in Nursing,University Hospital Basel,Basel,Switzerland. 5. Graduate Entry Medical School,University of Limerick,Limerick,Ireland. 6. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel,Evangelisches Krankenhaus Bielefeld,Division of Geriatric Psychiatry,Bielefeld,Germany. 7. Edinburgh Delirium Research Group,Geriatric Medicine,University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK. 8. Department of Psychiatry,Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra,Coimbra,Portugal. 9. Ancelle Hospital,Cremona,Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Detecting delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) can be challenging because assessment partly relies on cognitive tests that may be abnormal in both conditions. We hypothesized that a combined arousal and attention testing procedure would accurately detect DSD. METHODS: Patients aged ≥70 years were recruited from five hospitals across Europe. Delirium was diagnosed by physicians using DSM-5 criteria using information from nurses, carers, and medical records. Dementia was ascertained by the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. Arousal was measured using the Observational Scale of Level of Arousal (OSLA), which assesses eye opening, eye contact, posture, movement, and communication. Attention was measured by participants signaling each time an "A" was heard when "S-A-V-E-A-H-A-A-R-T" was read out. RESULTS: The sample included 114 persons (mean age 82 years (SD 7); 54% women). Dementia alone was present in 25% (n = 28), delirium alone in 18% (n = 21), DSD in 27% (n = 31), and neither in 30% (n = 34). Arousal and attention was assessed in n = 109 (96%). Using OSLA, 83% participants were correctly identified as having delirium (sensitivity 85%, specificity 82%, AUROC 0.92). The attention task correctly classified 76% of participants with delirium (sensitivity 90%, specificity 64%, AUROC 0.80). Combining scores correctly classified 91% of participants with delirium (sensitivity 84%, specificity 92%, AUROC 0.94). Diagnostic accuracy remained high in the subgroup with dementia (93% correctly classified, sensitivity 94%, specificity 92%, AUROC 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: This combined arousal-attention assessment to detect DSD was brief yet had high diagnostic accuracy. Such an approach could have clinical utility for diagnosing DSD.
BACKGROUND: Detecting delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) can be challenging because assessment partly relies on cognitive tests that may be abnormal in both conditions. We hypothesized that a combined arousal and attention testing procedure would accurately detect DSD. METHODS: Patients aged ≥70 years were recruited from five hospitals across Europe. Delirium was diagnosed by physicians using DSM-5 criteria using information from nurses, carers, and medical records. Dementia was ascertained by the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. Arousal was measured using the Observational Scale of Level of Arousal (OSLA), which assesses eye opening, eye contact, posture, movement, and communication. Attention was measured by participants signaling each time an "A" was heard when "S-A-V-E-A-H-A-A-R-T" was read out. RESULTS: The sample included 114 persons (mean age 82 years (SD 7); 54% women). Dementia alone was present in 25% (n = 28), delirium alone in 18% (n = 21), DSD in 27% (n = 31), and neither in 30% (n = 34). Arousal and attention was assessed in n = 109 (96%). Using OSLA, 83% participants were correctly identified as having delirium (sensitivity 85%, specificity 82%, AUROC 0.92). The attention task correctly classified 76% of participants with delirium (sensitivity 90%, specificity 64%, AUROC 0.80). Combining scores correctly classified 91% of participants with delirium (sensitivity 84%, specificity 92%, AUROC 0.94). Diagnostic accuracy remained high in the subgroup with dementia (93% correctly classified, sensitivity 94%, specificity 92%, AUROC 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: This combined arousal-attention assessment to detect DSD was brief yet had high diagnostic accuracy. Such an approach could have clinical utility for diagnosing DSD.
Entities:
Keywords:
delirium; delirium superimposed on dementia; dementia; diagnosis
Authors: Wolfgang Hasemann; Florian F Grossmann; Rahel Stadler; Roland Bingisser; Dieter Breil; Martina Hafner; Reto W Kressig; Christian H Nickel Journal: Intern Emerg Med Date: 2017-12-30 Impact factor: 3.397
Authors: Erika Steensma; Wenxiao Zhou; Long Ngo; Jacqueline Gallagher; Sharon Inouye; Douglas Leslie; Marie Boltz; Ann Kolanowski; Lorraine Mion; Edward R Marcantonio; Donna Fick Journal: J Am Med Dir Assoc Date: 2019-07-03 Impact factor: 4.669
Authors: Susan D Shenkin; Christopher Fox; Mary Godfrey; Najma Siddiqi; Steve Goodacre; John Young; Atul Anand; Alasdair Gray; Janet Hanley; Allan MacRaild; Jill Steven; Polly L Black; Zoë Tieges; Julia Boyd; Jacqueline Stephen; Christopher J Weir; Alasdair M J MacLullich Journal: BMC Med Date: 2019-07-24 Impact factor: 8.775
Authors: Simone Brefka; Gerhard Wilhelm Eschweiler; Dhayana Dallmeier; Michael Denkinger; Christoph Leinert Journal: Z Gerontol Geriatr Date: 2022-01-14 Impact factor: 1.292
Authors: Letty Oudewortel; Karlijn J Joling; Cees M P M Hertogh; Viona J M Wijnen; Anne A M van der Brug; Willem A van Gool Journal: Int Psychogeriatr Date: 2018-07-23 Impact factor: 3.878
Authors: Zoë Tieges; David J Stott; Robert Shaw; Elaine Tang; Lisa-Marie Rutter; Eva Nouzova; Nikki Duncan; Caoimhe Clarke; Christopher J Weir; Valentina Assi; Hannah Ensor; Jennifer H Barnett; Jonathan Evans; Samantha Green; Kirsty Hendry; Meigan Thomson; Jenny McKeever; Duncan G Middleton; Stuart Parks; Tim Walsh; Alexander J Weir; Elizabeth Wilson; Tara Quasim; Alasdair M J MacLullich Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-01-24 Impact factor: 3.240