Gene changes linked to delirium caused by infection

Sepsis is a potentially life threatening response to infection. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released by the body to fight infection trigger inflammation and other changes in that body that lead to organ damage. Sepsis can cause a patient to be confused and restless or drowsy, a condition called delirium. Roughly 3 out of 4 people with sepsis get delirium. It is linked with longer time in the hospital as well as problems with thinking, including memory and attention, after you leave the hospital. These problems can last a few months or many years. We do not know much about how sepsis causes delirium. The goal of this project is to learn more about delirium caused by sepsis. In sepsis, your cells may have problems making energy. Mitochondria are the parts of the cell that help us make energy. Mitochondria have their own DNA, called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Variations in mtDNA have been linked to whether a person recovers from sepsis. This project is going to look at that mtDNA from BioVU. We want to find out if variations in mtDNA are linked to delirium caused by sepsis. Different people have different mtDNA. Some people might get delirium; others might not. The scientists will check to see if different mtDNAs are linked with delirium. These differences might also tell us how long the delirium will last.