Doctoral/Master Theses: Preoperative neuroimaging markers of postoperative delirium

10.03.2023, Diplomarbeiten, Bachelor- und Masterarbeiten

Delirium frequently occurs following surgery in elderly patients, but little is known about the preoperative factors that put these patients at risk of developing this neurocognitive disorder.

About the study:

We will utilise state-of-the-art neuroimaging tools to investigate whether certain preoperative factors put patients at risk of developing postoperative delirium; namely, structural degeneration of the locus coeruleus and impaired glymphatic system transport.

We are looking for three students to work on this fMRI and EEG study as part of their doctoral thesis or master’s thesis. The study is organised by the Department of Anesthesiology at the Klinikum rechts der Isar. Project start will be around August (there is some flexibility here for the right students). We will investigate glymphatic system transport and locus coeruleus structural integrity via MR imaging at preoperative baseline and assess their relationship with the occurrence of postoperative delirium. Resting-state and task-based EEG data will also be collected outside of the MR scanner.

Your tasks:

1) Data collection
The students will be trained in MR and EEG data collection and take shifts collecting the data (there should be two people present for data collection). Data collection will occur 2-3 times a week, in the mornings 6-8am on the day of the patient's surgery, lasting in total around 6 months. We aim to collect around 100 patients, depending on the occurrence rate of delirium within our sample.

2) Data analysis
The students will be trained in MATLAB coding, and depending on their exact thesis topic, in either MR or EEG data analysis.

3) Literature research
The students will become familiar with the relevant literature and be supported in the write-up of their thesis.

What you gain:

1) Skills in the collection of cutting-edge neuroimaging tools
2) Working directly with patients on a topic with real-world impact
3) Working in an international lab with friendly people

The students will be officially supervised by the Director of the Anesthesiology clinic - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Schneider - but mentored by Dr. Rachel Nuttall, post-doctoral researcher. If you are interested, please send a short cover letter and a CV to rachel.nuttall@tum.de.

Kontakt: rachel.nuttall@tum.de

More Information

https://anaesthesie.mri.tum.de/