DELIRIUM-PD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Defining delirium and its impact in Parkinson’s Disease(DELIRIUM-PD)
IRAS ID
252956
Contact name
Rachael Lawson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition, which means there is a problem in the brain that gets worse over time. There is no cure for Parkinson’s. People with Parkinson’s may be at increased risk of delirium.
Delirium is a state of mental and emotional confusion that can happen to people if they are unwell. It can be distressing for the person with delirium and their relatives. Delirium has overlapping features with Parkinson’s, such as confusion, hallucinations and sleep disturbances. This makes it difficult to diagnose. Thus, delirium in Parkinson’s may be more common than previously thought. Delirium may increase the risk of developing dementia in the future, or worsen existing dementia. It is important that delirium be recognised quickly as early identification can lead to better outcomes.
We will find out how common delirium is in people with Parkinson’s, record and describe the symptoms of delirium in Parkinson’s. Patients with Parkinson’s who are admitted to hospitals in Newcastle upon Tyne will be invited to take part. An electronic alert will notify researchers of their admission; this system is already in use by the hospitals. We will visit participants who consent to participate over consecutive days whist in hospital and will complete a delirium assessment. Three months after participants’ discharge from hospital, they will be invited to a follow up visit where these assessments will be repeated. To find out about people’s unique experience of delirium in hospital participants, their relative/carer and healthcare professionals will be invited to take part in interviews.
Outputs from the study will include an assessment tool to identify delirium in Parkinson’s and dementia, and educational material for people with Parkinson’s, their relatives/carers and health professionals. Raising awareness and correctly identifying delirium in Parkinson’s could reduce adverse outcomes, such as increased risk of death and dementia.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/YH/0486
Date of REC Opinion
10 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion