ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Selective impairment of auditory discrimination in critically ill patients with delirium: a prospective electroencephalographic observational study
Authors' conclusion
In critically ill patients with COVID-19, delirium was associated with preserved automatic auditory detection but impaired higher-order auditory discrimination.
Study context
- Population
- Critically ill COVID-19 patients, Critical Care Unit of Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, France, March–October 2021
- Participants
- 18 vs 20
- Exposure
- Critically ill COVID-19 patients with vs without delirium
- Deliriumn = 18
- No deliriumn = 20reference
- Outcome
- Presence of P3 subcomponents (P3a detection, P3b discrimination) across auditory paradigms
Methodological detailssingle-centre, electroencephalographic, event-related potential
- Single-centre
- Electroencephalographic
- Event-related potential
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Presence of P3 subcomponents
- Delirium: P3a to non-verbal auditory stimuli preserved but P3b absent, indicating impaired auditory discrimination
- cluster-level P≤0.05
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Source modelling
- Reduced activation of frontal cortical generators in Delirium vs No delirium
Original publication
Selective impairment of auditory discrimination in critically ill patients with delirium: a prospective electroencephalographic observational study. BJA Open. Published 19 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →