Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31978127›Full record

ArticlePloS one2020

A smartphone-based test for the assessment of attention deficits in delirium: A case-control diagnostic test accuracy study in older hospitalised patients.

Zoë Tieges, David J Stott, Robert Shaw, Elaine Tang, Lisa-Marie Rutter, Eva Nouzova, Nikki Duncan, Caoimhe Clarke, Christopher J Weir, Valentina Assi and 14 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Delirium.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2020
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Zoë TiegesEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-3820-3917
David J StottInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Robert ShawInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Elaine TangEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Lisa-Marie RutterEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Eva NouzovaEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Nikki DuncanInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Caoimhe ClarkeInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Christopher J WeirEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Valentina AssiEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Hannah EnsorEdinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Jennifer H BarnettCambridge Cognition Ltd, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Jonathan EvansInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Samantha GreenEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Kirsty HendryInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Meigan ThomsonInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2171-9159
Jenny McKeeverEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Duncan G MiddletonMedical Devices Unit, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Stuart ParksMedical Devices Unit, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Tim WalshCritical Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Alexander J WeirMedical Devices Unit, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2800-9053
Elizabeth WilsonCritical Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Tara QuasimAnaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Alasdair M J MacLullichEdinburgh Delirium Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
University of Edinburgh · GBUniversity of Glasgow · GBEdinburgh Royal Infirmary · GBGlasgow Royal Infirmary · GBUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilMedical Research Council G0700704Medical Research Council MR/K026992/1Medical Research Council MR/L023210/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDelirium is a common and serious acute neuropsychiatric syndrome which is often missed in routine clinical care. Inattention is the core cognitive feature. Diagnostic test accuracy (including cut-points) of a smartphone Delirium App (DelApp) for assessing attention deficits was assessed in older hospital inpatients.

methodsThis was a case-control study of hospitalised patients aged ≥65 years with delirium (with or without pre-existing cognitive impairment), who were compared to patients with dementia without delirium, and patients without cognitive impairment. Reference standard delirium assessment, which included a neuropsychological test battery, was based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 criteria. A separate blinded assessor administered the DelApp arousal assessment (score 0-4) and attention task (0-6) yielding an overall score of 0 to 10 (lower scores indicate poorer performance). Analyses included receiver operating characteristic curves and sensitivity and specificity. Optimal cut-points for delirium detection were determined using Youden's index.

resultsA total of 187 patients were recruited, mean age 83.8 (range 67-98) years, 152 (81%) women; n = 61 with delirium; n = 61 with dementia without delirium; and n = 65 without cognitive impairment. Patients with delirium performed poorly on the DelApp (median score = 4/10; inter-quartile range 3.0, 5.5) compared to patients with dementia (9.0; 5.5, 10.0) and those without cognitive impairment (10.0; 10.0, 10.0). Area under the curve for detecting delirium was 0.89 (95% Confidence Interval 0.84, 0.94). At an optimal cut-point of ≤8, sensitivity was 91.7% (84.7%, 98.7%) and specificity 74.2% (66.5%, 81.9%) for discriminating delirium from the other groups. Specificity was 68.3% (56.6%, 80.1%) for discriminating delirium from dementia (cut-point ≤6).

conclusionPatients with delirium (with or without pre-existing cognitive impairment) perform poorly on the DelApp compared to patients with dementia and those without cognitive impairment. A cut-point of ≤8/10 is suggested as having optimal sensitivity and specificity. The DelApp is a promising tool for assessment of attention deficits associated with delirium in older hospitalised adults, many of whom have prior cognitive impairment, and should be further validated in representative patient cohorts.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsNeuropsychological TestsAgedAged, 80 and overArea Under CurveCase-Control StudiesCognitive DysfunctionDeliriumDementiaFemaleHospitalizationHumansMaleROC CurveSensitivity and SpecificitySeverity of Illness Index

Identifiers

PMID31978127
PMCPMC6980392
OpenAlexW2999240353

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.