Nutritional Status in Hospitalized Patients Over 65 Years of Age With Mental Disorders (NutriP-SI65)

July 13, 2026 updated by: University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana

Nutritional Status, Nutrition-Related Conditions, and Development of a Clinical Pathway for Nutritional Support in Hospitalized Patients Aged 65 Years and Older With Mental Disorders

The objective of of this observational study is to evaluate the nutritional status and the prevalence of nutrition-related conditions, as well as dysphagia, among patients aged 65 years and older with mental disorders. The study will also identify key associated factors and inform the development of targeted strategies for the prevention, early identification, and management of malnutrition and related conditions. Furthermore, a draft clinical pathway for nutritional care will be developed, and its feasibility and effectiveness will be assessed.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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.

Detailed Description

This prospective observational study will be conducted at the Geriatric Psychiatry Unit of the University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana and will focus on hospitalized patients aged 65 years and older with mental disorders. Older adults with psychiatric conditions, particularly those with dementia and depression, represent a highly vulnerable population with an increased risk of malnutrition, dysphagia, and related clinical conditions. Despite their clinical importance, these conditions remain under-recognized and insufficiently addressed, particularly in hospital settings, where nutritional status may further deteriorate during admission.

The study aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of nutritional status and nutrition-related conditions in this population, while also examining their relationship with clinical, functional, cognitive, psychological, and sociodemographic factors. In addition, the study will explore associations between nutritional conditions and laboratory biomarkers, including markers of inflammation, metabolism, and oxidative stress, to improve understanding of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Data will be collected as part of routine clinical care using a multidisciplinary approach, including medical, nutritional, functional, psychological, and pharmacological assessments. Nutritional status and dysphagia will be evaluated using validated clinical tools and standard diagnostic criteria. Functional status will be assessed through established mobility and performance measures, while cognitive function and mood will be evaluated using standardized psychological instruments. Laboratory parameters will be obtained from routine diagnostics, with additional analyses performed on stored serum samples without increasing patient burden.

Patients will be assessed at hospital admission and followed during hospitalization, with repeated measurements performed in accordance with standard clinical practice. No additional invasive procedures will be performed solely for research purposes, and all participants will receive standard care according to current clinical guidelines. The study will therefore not interfere with treatment or impose additional risk to participants.

The findings of this study are expected to provide the first comprehensive national data on the prevalence of malnutrition and related conditions in hospitalized older adults with mental disorders in Slovenia. Based on these findings, a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for nutritional care will be developed and its feasibility and effectiveness evaluated. The results will contribute to improved early detection, prevention, and management of malnutrition and dysphagia, as well as to the development of national evidence-based clinical guidelines and healthcare strategies for this vulnerable population.

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.
Observational

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.
450

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 Contact Backup

  • Name: Nina Mohorko

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

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of patients aged 65 years and older who are admitted to inpatient wards of the unit, have at least one psychiatric diagnosis, and have an expected hospitalization of at least 48 hours. Only patients who provide written informed consent, or whose legal representatives provide consent, will be included.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 65 years and older
  • Presence of at least one psychiatric diagnosis
  • Hospitalization at the Geriatric Psychiatry Unit of the University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals who did not provide written informed consent (or whose legal representatives did not provide consent)
  • Hospitalization shorter than 48 hours
  • Presence of delirium
  • Patients receiving palliative care or who are terminally ill

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

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
Prevalence of nutrition disorders and nutrition-related conditions
Time Frame: Baseline.
The prevalence of predefined nutrition disorders and nutrition-related conditions will be assessed in hospitalized patients aged 65 years and older with mental disorders using validated diagnostic criteria. Predefined conditions include malnutrition, cachexia, sarcopenia, frailty, overweight, obesity (including sarcopenic obesity and central obesity), and micronutrient abnormalities.
Baseline.

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
Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Nutritional status will be assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®; score range 0-30). Higher MNA scores indicate better nutritional status.
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI)
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI, kg/m²) will be assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and calculated as appendicular skeletal muscle mass in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Higher ASMI values indicate greater appendicular skeletal muscle mass relative to height.
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) score
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Dysphagia will be assessed using the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS). The total score ranges from 0 to 20 points, with higher scores indicating better swallowing function. Established score ranges will be used to describe dysphagia severity.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Phase angle
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Phase angle, expressed in degrees, will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Higher phase angle values generally indicate greater cell membrane integrity and body cell mass.
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Barthel Index score
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Activities of daily living will be assessed using the Barthel Index. The total Barthel Index score (0-100 points) will be recorded. Higher scores indicate greater independence in activities of daily living.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Handgrip strength
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Handgrip strength will be assessed using a calibrated hand dynamometer. One maximal grip strength measurement will be obtained from the dominant hand and recorded in kilograms (kg). Higher values indicate greater handgrip strength.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Cognitive function
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Cognitive function will be assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The total score ranges from 0 to 30 points, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The total score ranges from 0 to 15 points, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Hospital length of stay
Time Frame: From admission to discharge, an average of 3 weeks.
Hospital length of stay will be calculated as the number of calendar days from hospital admission to hospital discharge, based on the hospital medical record.
From admission to discharge, an average of 3 weeks.
Number of participants experiencing at least one in-hospital adverse event
Time Frame: During hospitalization, up to Day 21.
The number of participants experiencing at least one predefined adverse event during hospitalization will be recorded. Predefined adverse events include falls, fractures, delirium, aspiration, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, gastrointestinal infection, sepsis, gastrointestinal bleeding, pressure ulcer, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, arrhythmia, stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiopulmonary arrest, or death. Each participant will be counted once, irrespective of the number of adverse events experienced.
During hospitalization, up to Day 21.
De Morton Mobility Index score
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Mobility will be assessed using the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI). The DEMMI total score (0-100 points) will be recorded. Higher scores indicate better mobility.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
4-meter gait speed
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Gait speed will be assessed over a 4-meter walking distance. Walking speed will be calculated as distance in meters divided by walking time in seconds and expressed in meters per second. Higher values indicate faster gait speed.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Lower extremity muscle function will be assessed using the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5STS). The time (seconds) required to complete five consecutive sit-to-stand repetitions will be recorded. Shorter completion time indicates better lower extremity strength.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Functional mobility will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The time (seconds) required to stand up from a chair, walk around a marker, return, and sit down will be recorded. Shorter completion time indicates better function.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Frailty will be assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), ranging from 1 to 9 points. Higher scores indicate greater frailty.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI) score
Time Frame: Baseline.
Comorbidity burden will be assessed using the Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index. The total ACCI score will be recorded.
Baseline.
Number of regularly prescribed medications
Time Frame: Baseline.
The number of regularly prescribed systemic medications documented in the participant's medication list at baseline will be recorded. Medications prescribed only as needed will not be included.
Baseline.
Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI)
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
GNRI will be calculated from serum albumin concentration and the ratio of actual to ideal body weight using the prespecified GNRI equation (Bouillanne et al, 2005). The GNRI is a unitless score, with higher scores indicating lower nutrition-related risk.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration will be measured in serum obtained from venous blood using a validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and expressed in ng/ml.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration will be measured in serum obtained from venous blood using a validated laboratory assay and expressed in pg/ml.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) concentration (pg/ml) will be measured in serum obtained from venous blood using a validated laboratory assay.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Total antioxidant capacity
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Total antioxidant capacity, assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging assay, will be expressed as percentage inhibition of the DPPH radical. Higher values indicate greater antioxidant capacity.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentration (pg/ml) will be measured in serum obtained from venous blood using a validated laboratory assay.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration (mg/l) will be measured in serum obtained from venous blood using routine laboratory methods.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Phenotypic Age (PhenoAge)
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
PhenoAge, expressed in years, will be calculated using the validated equation described by Ruan et al. (2023), based on chronological age, serum albumin, creatinine, glucose, lymphocyte percentage, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, alkaline phosphatase, and white blood cell count. Lower values indicate lower biological age.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Skeletal muscle mass percentage
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Skeletal muscle mass percentage will be assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and expressed as the percentage of total body mass classified as skeletal muscle mass.
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Fat mass percentage
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Fat mass percentage will be assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and expressed as the percentage of total body mass classified as fat mass. Higher values indicate a greater proportion of body fat.
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Calf circumference
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Calf circumference will be measured in centimeters at the prespecified anatomical site using a non-stretch measuring tape and standardized anthropometric procedures.
Baseline and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Body mass index
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).
Body mass index (BMI) will be calculated as body weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared and expressed in kg/m².
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21 (or hospital discharge if earlier).

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 Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana

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.
University of Primorska

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: Polona Rus Prelog, University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana

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 (Estimated)

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.
June 1, 2026

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.
August 1, 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.
December 1, 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).
June 10, 2026

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.
July 13, 2026

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.
July 17, 2026

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 17, 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 13, 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.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • UPCL-Geronto-2026-02
  • CRP 2025 No.: V3-2559 (Other Grant/Funding Number: ARIS and the Ministry of Health)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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.

Clinical Trials on Obesity

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings