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Small vessel disease contributions to acute delirium: a pilot feasibility MRI study
Úna Clancy, Yajun Cheng, Charlotte Jardine, Fergus Doubal, Alasdair M. J. MacLullich, Joanna Marguerite Wardlaw. Age and Ageing, 2025-03-28
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Mean age was 83.5 years (delirium 78.7 vs non-delirium 88.4); 13/20 were female; 17/20 had premorbid cognitive decline/impairment or dementia. Acquisition took mean 26.8 min. MRI was well tolerated in 16/20 (7/10 in delirium arm; 9/10 in non-delirium arm). Also, 4/20 had early scan termination, but 20/20 had clinically interpretable images. We detected DWI-hyperintense lesions in 3/10 (30%) with delirium (2/10 small subcortical and 1/10 cortical) and in 3/10 (30%) without delirium (2/10 small subcortical; 1/10 cortical). Mean white matter hyperintensity Fazekas score was 6 in delirium versus 4.5 without. MRI is feasible, usable and tolerable in delirium, and we detected DWI-hyperintense lesions in one-third of all study participants, regardless of delirium status. This study indicates acute vascular contributions, including SVD, to both delirium- and non-delirium-related presentations, supporting the need for larger studies.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Clancy, Ú., Cheng, Y., Jardine, C., Doubal, F., MacLullich, A. M. J., & Wardlaw, J. M. (2025). Small vessel disease contributions to acute delirium: a pilot feasibility MRI study. Age and Ageing. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaf099
Vancouver
Clancy Ú, Cheng Y, Jardine C, Doubal F, MacLullich AMJ, Wardlaw JM. Small vessel disease contributions to acute delirium: a pilot feasibility MRI study. Age and Ageing. 2025. doi:10.1093/ageing/afaf099. PMID: 40237715.
BibTeX
@article{clancy2025-40237715,
author = {Clancy, Úna and Cheng, Yajun and Jardine, Charlotte and Doubal, Fergus and MacLullich, Alasdair M. J. and Wardlaw, Joanna Marguerite},
title = {{Small vessel disease contributions to acute delirium: a pilot feasibility MRI study}},
journal = {Age and Ageing},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1093/ageing/afaf099},
pmid = {40237715},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaf099}
}
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Key findings
- Mean age was 83.5 years (delirium 78.7 vs non-delirium 88.4); 13/20 were female; 17/20 had premorbid cognitive decline/impairment or dementia.
- MRI was well tolerated in 16/20 (7/10 in delirium arm; 9/10 in non-delirium arm).
- Also, 4/20 had early scan termination, but 20/20 had clinically interpretable images.
- We detected DWI-hyperintense lesions in 3/10 (30%) with delirium (2/10 small subcortical and 1/10 cortical) and in 3/10 (30%) without delirium (2/10 small subcortical; 1/10 cortical).
- Mean white matter hyperintensity Fazekas score was 6 in delirium versus 4.5 without.
Why it matters
This small pilot MRI study of 20 participants found that scanning was feasible and tolerable in people with delirium, and detected DWI-hyperintense lesions in one-third of all participants regardless of delirium status. It indicates acute vascular contributions to both delirium and non-delirium presentations and supports the need for larger studies.
Study details
- Study designcase-control study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a case-control study. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Age and Ageing) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Age and Ageing: journal h-index 231 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 6 / 12 | A case-control study |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 4 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Joanna Marguerite Wardlaw: h-index 150 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Edinburgh: institution h-index 1,378 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40237715) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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