Brain network disintegration as a final common pathway for delirium: a systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis

Abstract

Delirium is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by altered levels of attention and awareness with cognitive deficits. It is most prevalent in elderly hospitalized patients and related to poor outcomes. Predisposing risk factors, such as older age, determine the baseline vulnerability for delirium, while precipitating factors, such as use of sedatives, trigger the syndrome. Risk factors are heterogeneous and the underlying biological mechanisms leading to vulnerability for delirium are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that delirium and its risk factors are associated with consistent brain network changes. We performed a systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis a..