Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr David Lowery, Dr Clive Ballard
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
Objective: To determine whether attentional impairments are reliable neuropsychological markers of sub syndrome delirium. Method: A prospective cohort study with repeated assessment beginning pre-operatively and continuing through the first post-operative week. Computerized assessments of attention and the Mini-Mental State Examination were administered with one hundred patients admitted for elective orthopedic surgery, 70 years and over and free of dementia. Acute change of cognitive status was used to identify cases of sub syndrome delirium. Results: There were significant differences of post-surgical performance between the 'no delirium' and 'sub-syndrome delirium' groups of reaction time, global cognition, accuracy and greater variability of reaction time (p < 0.041). There were significant within subject main effects on reaction time (p = 0.001), variability of reaction time (p = 0.022) and MMSE (p = 0.000) across the cohort; but no significant interaction effect of 'diagnosis' * 'time' on the computerized measures of attention (p > 0.195). Conclusion: The distinction between people with sub syndrome delirium and no delirium is difficult to quantify but computerized measures of attention might provide a sensitive indicator. Sub syndrome delirium is an observable marker of a clinical abnormality that should be exploited to improve care management for vulnerable patients. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Author(s): Lowery DP, Wesnes K, Brewster N, Ballard C
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Year: 2010
Volume: 25
Issue: 10
Pages: 945-952
Print publication date: 06/01/2010
ISSN (print): 0885-6230
ISSN (electronic): 1099-1166
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.2430
DOI: 10.1002/gps.2430
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
