Mental Health | Understanding / study; Cerebrovascular Disease

Mental Health and how Television may impact those with Delirium

Daytime Television May Reduce Cases of Delirium in Patients With Cerebrovascular Disease

Exposure to daytime television during a hospital stay may reduce cases of delirium in patients admitted to the cerebrovascular disease ward, according to new research presented at the 2022 European Stroke Organisation Convention in Lyon, France.

Delirium is a complex syndrome involving a sudden, temporary disturbance of attention, wakefulness, and cognitive functions, and in cerebrovascular disease wards is associated with higher rates of mortality, disability, chance of institutionalization, and medical costs.

“It is estimated that multimodal sensorial stimulation may prevent up to 40% of cases,” observed Isabel Rovisco Monteiro, MD, Neurology, Coimbra University Hospital Centre, and co-authors, “but these strategies are very time consuming.”

The case-control study observed 442 patients admitted to a neurology ward with acute ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease. Researchers divided and compared the patients in the following 2 groups: those who were admitted during the 6 months before televisions were installed in the ward and those admitted in the 6 months after television installation. They measured the prevalence of delirium as well as the administration of benzodiazepines and neuroleptics.

After performing univariate analysis to compare the groups, the authors found that delirium occurred less frequently in the group exposed to television (26.5% vs 6.2%; P < .001). However, both groups were prescribed benzodiazepines and neuroleptics in a similar manner (55.9% vs 59.3%; P = .48).

“This work suggests that exposure to a visuo-auditory stimulus of a television during hospital stay may reduce the prevalence of delirium,” concluded Rovisco Monteiro et al.

Source: