Use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) as a Biomarker of Delirium in Hospitalized Older Adults Doing Physical Exercise

Delirium is an important cause of morbimortality in older adults admitted to hospital. Multicomponent interventions targeting delirium risk factors, including physical exercise and mobilization, have been shown to reduce delirium incidence in 30-40% in acute care setting but little is known about its role in the evolution of delirium, once established. This study is a randomized clinical trial conducted in the Acute Geriatric Unit of a tertiary public hospital in Navarra, Spain. Hospitalized delirious patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The intervention will consist of a multicomponent exercise training programme, which will be composed of supervised progressive resistance and strength exercise training during 4 consecutive days. The objective is to assess the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing the following primary outcomes: duration and severity of delirium, functional status, and length of stay. This study will contribute to determine the usefulness of physical exercise in the management of delirium. It will be the first study to evaluate the impact of a multicomponent intervention based on physical exercise in the evolution of delirium.