Delirium and Neuropsychological Recovery Among Emergency General Surgery Survivors

July 2, 2026 updated by: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Delirium and Neuropsychological Recovery Among Emergency General Surgery Survivors (DANE)

This study will evaluate the usefulness of the Urgent and Emergency Surgery (UES) Delirium Recovery Model. It is hypothesized that the cognitive, physical and psychological recovery of older UES delirium survivors will be improved through the use of the DANE Recovery Model. Participants can expect to be on the study for 18 months.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a multi-site, two-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of the DANE Recovery Model to improve the cognitive, physical and psychological recovery of older UES delirium survivors. At or near the time of discharge, enrolled participants will be randomized to receive the DANE Recovery Model or usual care. The hypothesis is that, after 18 months, older UES delirium survivors who are randomized to the DANE Recovery Model will experience more favorable cognitive, physical and psychological recovery in comparison to those randomized to usual care.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
528

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Rockford, Illinois, United States, 61104
        • SwedishAmerican Hospital
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 47405
        • Indiana University
    • Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53705
        • University of Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53715
        • Meriter Hospital
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53718
        • East Madison Hospital
      • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53226
        • Medical College of Wisconsin

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

65 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult age 65 years and older
  • Admitted to one of the participating hospitals
  • Undergone an abdominal orthopedic, skin, or vascular surgery in an emergency or unplanned fashion
  • English-speaking
  • Able to provide consent or have a legally authorized representative to provide consent
  • Access to a telephone or an internet connected computer or smart device
  • Discharged to home or sub-acute rehabilitation
  • At least one episode of delirium or subsyndromal delirium, i.e. screen positive on at least one out of the four items on the Confusion Assessment Method-ICU (CAM-ICU) in the period prior to discharge from acute care.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A self-reported diagnosis of cancer with short life expectancy
  • A history of dementing illnesses and other neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson disease, or vascular dementia, or current prescription of anti-dementia medication, or ruled out by Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) score defining dementia; a history of significant traumatic brain injury
  • Acute or subacute neurologic deficit expected to prevent independent living after hospital discharge, e.g., a history of a significant traumatic brain injury
  • Have any spinal cord injury with persistent neurologic deficit at the time of study enrollment
  • Incarcerated or homeless at the time of study enrollment
  • Acquired neurologic injury (stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral edema/swelling, anoxic brain injury, or any other acute/subacute severe neurologic deficit) as the admitting diagnosis or a new event during the course of hospitalization (confirmed by EMR)
  • A history of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (confirmed by EMR)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Usual Care
Participants will receive the usual rehabilitation and post-operative care.
Other: Questionnaires
Physical, cognitive, and psychological assessments
Other: DANE Recovery Program
Virtual visits with care coordinator to carry out an individualized recovery plan
Experimental: DANE Recovery Model
The delivery of the model will occur in five phases that correspond to the known stages of recovery after surgery. During the acute stage (0 - 1 month after surgery), participants will undergo the initial case review and two initial virtual visits, and the development of the recovery care plan. During the recovery (2 - 6 months after surgery) and maintenance (7-12 months after surgery) stages, the participants will undergo the interaction phase of the DANE Recovery Model.
Other: DANE Recovery Program
Virtual visits with care coordinator to carry out an individualized recovery plan

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in overall cognitive recovery
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Change in score on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) cognitive screening assessment. The measure consists of 12 subtests that contribute to a total score and Index scores across five domains: Immediate Memory, Visuospatial-Constructional, Language, Attention, and Delayed Memory. Index scores are converted to age-based standard scores (Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15)
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Change in overall physical recovery will be assessed using Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). SPPB is a group of measures that combines the results of the gait speed, chair stand and balance tests, and yields a performance score of 0-12; 0-4 poor, 5-7 intermediate, 8-12 good.
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Change in overall physical recovery
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Change in overall physical recovery will be assessed using 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). SF-36 scale has eight components (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health).
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Change in overall psychological recovery will be assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is a nine-item depression scale with a total score from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater depression.
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) .
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months
Change in overall psychological recovery will be assessed using General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to determine the impact of the intervention on participant's mood and anxiety. The GAD-7 is a seven-item anxiety scale with a total score from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety.
Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Indiana University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Ben Zarzaur, MD, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 13, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 5, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 12, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 13, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2022-0545
  • A539714 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • SMPH/SURGERY/TRAUMA (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • 1R01AG076489-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • Protocol Version 4/20/2025 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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