Unlocking the secrets of delirium: A new neuroscientific collaboration
A new research project will seek to identify the patterns of brain activity associated with an increased risk of delirium after surgery, in a new collaboration between the University of Melbourne’s Dr Daniel Feuerriegel, together with delirium and dementia expert Professor Hannah Keage from the University of South Australia and Professor Daniel Davis from University College London.
Their project, Predicting delirium vulnerability from pre-surgery neurophysiological measures, is funded by a 2023 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grant.
Delirium, a sudden impairment in thinking skills that afflicts 25-30 per cent of post-surgery patients, poses significant challenges to older adults, leading to reduced life expectancy and an elevated risk of developing dementia. Although the precise functional mechanisms that produce delirium are not well understood, delirium is thought to reflect a failure of integration across networks of the brain following a stressful event, such as surgery or an infection. Together with a broad interdisciplinary network of collaborators (including University of Melbourne cognitive neuroscientist Professor Marta Garrido) the research team aims to develop targeted assessments to test for neural markers of delirium vulnerability.
Professor Keage explained the motivation behind the research: “Our study will identify patterns of brain activity associated with an increased delirium risk, which will ultimately improve care and enable prevention efforts to be targeted.”
Dr Feuerriegel, a cognitive scientist, worked with Professor Keage during his PhD.
He has a personal connection to the research, after a family member experienced undetected delirium.
Dr Feuerriegel hopes to streamline the process to spare more families from the distress associated with unidentified delirium, highlighting the importance of early identification and treatment.
His research interests extend beyond delirium vulnerability and is focused on how decision-making is implemented in the human brain.
Using electroencephalography (EEG), he records neural signals corresponding to different stages of decision-making, employing computational models and machine learning techniques.
Working with experts like Professor Stefan Bode and Professor Katherine Johnson, he has expanded his research program to explore interconnected areas of the brain, contributing to ongoing collaborations for the betterment of health outcomes in the community.
Reflecting on the exciting aspects of his work, Dr Feuerriegel emphasised the interdisciplinary nature of cognitive science.
“Each researcher has brought new perspectives and analytical tools that have helped me to investigate how the brain gives rise to the mind,” he said.
Developing expertise in neuroimaging data, particularly EEG, Dr Feuerriegel navigates the rich patterns of brain activity, describing it as an ongoing, engaging challenge.