# The Role of ICU Delirium and Vascular Risk Factors in the Development of Post-ICU Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

> **NIH NIH K23** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2021 · $164,242

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This proposal describes a career development plan that will transform Dr. Wang into a patient-
oriented investigator focused on building novel interventions to prevent or delay Alzheimer's
disease and other related dementias (ADRD) in delirium survivors. Dr. Wang's proposed project
will involve the secondary data analysis of research subjects screened for the Pharmacologic
Management of Delirium (PMD) study, a completed R01 clinical trial testing the efficacy of
haloperidol to treat intensive care unit (ICU) delirium, merged with electronic medical record
data from the Indiana Network for Patient Care Database. This project will examine the role of
ICU delirium, pre-ICU cardiovascular risk factors, and post-ICU depression in the development
of post-ICU cognitive impairment and ADRD. The completion of this project will establish Dr.
Wang's career as a patient oriented investigator to identify risk factors for post-ICU cognitive
impairment and ADRD and develop targeted interventions in ICU delirium survivors.
This proposed career development plan integrates 1) coursework and structured didactics in
biostatistics, epidemiology, and clinical trials methodology that lead up to a master's degree in
clinical research, 2) leadership skills and interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare her for a
career as a patient-oriented investigator, 3) participation in national meetings to develop
expertise in older delirium survivors and ADRD, 4) a multidisciplinary mentorship panel with a
strong track record of growing junior investigators, and 5) an ideal research environment to
study the intersection of the fields of delirium and ADRD. This environment includes an
internationally recognized NIH-funded PMD Study Group, the distinguished Indiana University
Center for Aging Research, the NIA-funded Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Center, and the NIH-
funded Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). This career development
award will guarantee protected time that will be necessary to advance the candidate's career in
older ICU delirium survivors and ADRD. In addition, the award will provide critical support to
collect data for future R01 clinical trial to test an intervention to prevent and delay post-ICU
cognitive impairment and ADRD in delirium survivors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10168417
- **Project number:** 5K23AG062555-03
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Sophia Wang
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $164,242
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10168417

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10168417, The Role of ICU Delirium and Vascular Risk Factors in the Development of Post-ICU Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (5K23AG062555-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10168417. Licensed CC0.

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