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Delirium and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Exploring the Molecular Link

  • Perioperative Delirium (JM Leung, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Delirium is a common problem among the elderly. The incidence of delirium will increase considerably in the coming decades as the proportion of the population over age 65 increases. Given that an FDA-approved drug to treat delirium is not available, efforts geared toward prevention are paramount. Several risk factors that predispose/precipitate delirium have been identified. A recently described, reversible risk factor for postoperative delirium is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In this review, we focus on the molecular basis of delirium and its link to OSA. We present evidence that OSA modulates the levels of two factors, IGF-1 and cortisol, which both have been linked to postoperative delirium.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Grant No. R01-AG019766 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, and funds from the Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Stephanie C. Patterson

  2. Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 601 North Caroline Street, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Shawn G. Kwatra

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, P.O. Box 3094, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Miles Berger & Madan M. Kwatra

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  1. Stephanie C. Patterson
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Correspondence to Madan M. Kwatra.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Perioperative Delirium.

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Patterson, S.C., Kwatra, S.G., Berger, M. et al. Delirium and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Exploring the Molecular Link. Curr Anesthesiol Rep 5, 41–47 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-014-0092-3

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