About us

The research group is engaged in several ongoing and comprehensive studies focusing on various aspects of delirium in the elderly.

Most members are affiliated with Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) or Oslo University Hospital (OUS), and we collaborate closely with several other hospitals both in Norway and internationally. The group is led by Leiv Otto Watne (Ahus) and Bjørn Erik Neerland (OUS).

We study the pathophysiology of delirium through the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with hip fractures and from healthy controls, with a particular focus on the pathophysiological relationship between delirium and dementia.

We have conducted both pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention studies, such as music therapy for patients with delirium, and are currently conducting a national multicenter study on the effect of drugs to prevent delirium and cognitive difficulties after heart surgery in cooperation with OUS. Read more about the study.  

We have studied the epidemiology and prognosis of delirium in hip fracture patients and in the elderly living at home.

We are working on an extensive epidemiological study of delirium from a population perspective, using data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study and the participants' hospital records. In this research, we will also examine the connections between delirium, frailty, and dementia.

Long-term goals

Through ambitious and innovative research designs, effective utilization of patient materials we have collected, established routines for handling delirious patients in research contexts, and an international network, we have positioned ourselves as a leading European center for research on delirium in elderly patients.

In the coming years, we will particularly prioritize treatment research, epidemiology, and research on pathophysiological mechanisms.

Our biobank of cerebrospinal fluid samples from hip fracture patients, who are well clinically documented concerning delirium, represents a unique collection of biological materials at an international level. Therefore, we will prioritize research on this to illuminate pathophysiological hypotheses in collaboration with basic researchers.
We are currently including patients at several hospitals in Norway, and our biobank is continuously growing.

The ALPHA2PREVENT study is ongoing until 2026 and will be among the largest drug studies in the field of delirium. In addition to the main study, extensive data collection provides a foundation for several planned sub-studies on biomarkers, physiological parameters, frailty, and cognitive function over time.

In ongoing epidemiological studies with nearly 10,000 participants, we are collecting data that allows us to investigate the effects of delirium over time and establish whether frailty and delirium are independent risk factors for the development of dementia.

Our group has been chosen to host the European Delirium Conference in 2026 (Radisson Blu Scandinavia, Holbergs Plass, November 4-6). For further details on the conference, click this link. We also organized this conference in 2017, at Hotel Bristol in Oslo. In 2022 and 2024, we hosted the first two national delirium conferences at Diakonhjemmet and Ahus, respectively, in Oslo.

On-going projects

  • Alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonists for the prevention of delirium and cognitive decline after open heart surgery (ALPHA2PREVENT): randomised controlled trial
  • Cooperation for improved pharmacotherapy in frail elderly people – The COOP study. A randomized controlled trial
  • Adverse outcomes after delirium. A longitudinal study of patients with hip fracture with and without delirium
  • Home-based patients with delirium
  • Haemodynamic regulation in elderly persons
  • Pathophysiology of delirium
  • Spinal fluid findings from healthy elderly
  • Acute sick elderlies in medical departments
  • Delirium in care transitions