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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jun 27.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011 Nov;59(0 2):S256–S261. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03702.x

Table 1.

Summary of Recent Evidence on the Role of Biomarkers in Delirium

Study Service Sample Size Age, Mean±SD Category Delirium Assessment Tool Biomarker Main Findings
Wilson16 Medicine 100 84.5 ± 4.2 Risk* CAM, DSM-III IGF-1 Low IGF-1 increases the risk of delirium
Macdonald15 Medicine 86 82.7 ± 6.6 Risk CAM CRP High levels predict the incidence of delirium
de Rooij4 Medicine 185 80 Risk CAM Cytokines Cytokines may contribute to pathogenesis of delirium
Tagarakis10 Surgery 154 70.1 ± 7.7–67.8 ± 7.4 Risk DRS ApoE No correlation between ApoE and postoperative delirium
Leung7 Surgery 190 72.5 ± 6 Risk CAM ApoE ApoE carrier status was associated with greater risk of early postoperative delirium
Van Munster9 Medicine 264 81.4–76.7 Risk CAM ApoE No evidence that ApoE carriers have higher risk of delirium
Van Munster16 Surgery 98 84.6 ± 7.1–83.2 ± 6.7 Risk CAM, DOS, DRS-R-98 Cytokines Patients with postoperative delirium have higher levels of IL-6 and IL-8
Lemstra22 Surgery 68 78.5–80 Risk DSM-IV, CAM, DRS-R-98, Digit Span Test CRP, IL-6, IGF-1 No correlation found between preoperative inflammatory markers levels and postoperative delirium
Van Munster8 Medicine, surgery 656 77.4 ± 7.8–82.3 ± 7.6 Risk CAM, DOS ApoE Delirium associated with presence of ApoE-4 allele
Van Munster13 Surgery 120 84.8 ± 6.9–82.9 ± 7.9 Risk, diagnosis† CAM, DOS Cortisol, IL, S-100 β Cortisol, IL-6, and S-100 β may have a role in the pathogenesis of delirium. S-100 β is the strongest independent marker
Adamis11 Medicine 164 84.6 ± 6.57 Risk, prognosis‡ CAM, DRS ApoE, Cytokines Relationship between ApoE, low IGF-1, and delirium
Ely12 ICU 53 53.2 ± 21.9–65.4 ± 13.4 Risk, prognosis CAM-ICU ApoE Presence of ApoE significantly associated with a longer duration of delirium
Adamis5 Medicine 67 84.2 ± 6.3 Risk, prognosis CAM, DRS Cytokines, IGF-1, ApoE Low levels of IGF-I associated with delirium
Thomas18 Medicine 61 86.2 ± 4.5 Diagnosis CAM, Delirium Index SAA SAA levels did not correlate with electroencephalographic parameters in diagnosing delirium
Van Munster23 Medicine 412 81.6 ± 7.9–76.6 ± 7.6 Diagnosis CAM, DOS, DRS-R-98 S-100 β Higher levels of S-100 β were found in patients with delirium than in those without
Van Munster24 Surgery 120 84.8 ± 6.9–82.9 ± 7.0 Diagnosis CAM, DOS, DRS-R-98 S-100 β, NSE Delirium associated with high levels of S-100 β but not with NSE
Plaschke21 ICU 114 73.3 ± 6.0–67.3 ± 9.3 Diagnosis CAM-ICU Cortisol, IL-6 Early postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery associated with higher cortisol and IL-6 levels
*

Risk markers were collected before delirium development.

†

Diagnosis markers correlate with delirium development.

‡

Prognosis markers pertain to delirium severity or duration.

CAM = Confusion Assessment Method; DSM = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; IGF = insulinlike growth factor; CRP = C-reactive protein; DRS = Delirium Rating Scale; ApoE = apolipoprotein E; DOS = Delirium Observation Screening Scale; IL = interleukin; NSE = neuron-specific enolase; ICU = intensive care unit; SAA = serum anticholinergic activity.