# Sleep Disruption and Delirium in Critically Ill Children

> **NIH NIH F31** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $36,741

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Delirium is a serious but under-studied complication of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Sleep
disruption is frequently observed in children with delirium, and circadian rhythm dysregulation due to poor
sleep quality during critical illness is one proposed pathway to delirium. Children admitted to the PICU
experience multiple environmental exposures with the potential to disrupt sleep, including excessive light and
sound and frequent caregiving. The scientific premise of this study is that modifiable characteristics of the
pediatric critical care environment, including excessive light and sound and frequent caregiving, contribute to
sleep disruption and thus have a physiological effect that may lead to delirium. The primary purpose of this
research training plan is to develop a measurement framework that illustrates the relationship between
modifiable characteristics of the pediatric critical care environment (i.e., light and sound exposure, caregiving
frequency), sleep disruption, and delirium in a critically ill pediatric sample 5 years of age and younger. This
observational, repeated measures study will accomplish the following specific aims: (1) Describe selected
modifiable characteristics of the pediatric critical care environment, sleep disruption, and the incidence and
duration of delirium across a 5-day period in a sample of 20 critically ill children 5 years of age and younger.
(2) Examine the relationships among selected modifiable characteristics of the pediatric critical care
environment, sleep disruption, and the incidence and duration of delirium. (2a) Examine the mediating effect
of sleep disruption on the relationship between selected characteristics of the pediatric critical care
environment and the incidence and duration of delirium. This study is among the first to explore the
association between sleep disruption and delirium in critically ill children. This aligns with the mission of the
NINR Strategic Plan in Symptom Science to understand biological and behavioral aspects of symptoms. Once
validated, the measurement framework developed in this study will be used to design and test environmental
modification and/or sleep promotion interventions to prevent delirium in pediatric populations. The long-term
goal of this program of research is to improve the neurocognitive symptom management and long-term
outcomes of critically ill children by optimizing the pediatric critical care environment. This 3-year pre-doctoral
training plan has the following goals: (1) Build understanding and proficiency in quantitative research methods
and statistical analyses. (2) Acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to evaluate how exposures in the
pediatric intensive care environment contribute to the incidence and duration of delirium in critically ill
children. (3) Advance scientific understanding of pediatric delirium through scholarly writing and
dissemination of research findings. (4) Develop profess...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10131268
- **Project number:** 5F31NR018586-03
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura Beth Ann Kalvas
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $36,741
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10131268

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10131268, Sleep Disruption and Delirium in Critically Ill Children (5F31NR018586-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10131268. Licensed CC0.

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