Causal relationships between delirium and Parkinson's disease: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Observational studies suggest a higher prevalence of delirium in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
• However, observational studies have limitations in establishing causality.
• This study investigates the potential bidirectional causal relationship between delirium and PD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if delirium causes PD.
• To determine if PD causes delirium.
• To clarify the etiological relationship between delirium and PD.

Main Methods:

• A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed.
• Genome-wide association study summary statistics were utilized.
• Inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode methods were employed, alongside heterogeneity and pleiotropy assessments.

Main Results:

• No evidence of a causal association between delirium and PD was found (IVW OR: 0.996, P=0.845).
• No evidence of a causal association between PD and delirium was found (IVW OR: 1.078, P=0.225).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability of these findings.

Conclusions:

• The Mendelian randomization analysis did not support a bidirectional causal relationship between delirium and Parkinson's disease.
• Further clinical research is recommended to investigate the association between delirium and the risk of developing PD.