High Dose Intravenous Thiamine for the Prevention of Delirium in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Purpose: To conduct a randomized controlled pilot study investigating the use of high dose intravenous (IV) thiamine to prevent delirium and mitigate the long-term effects of delirium, including health-related quality of life (HRQOL), functional status, and neuropsychiatric outcomes, in patients admitted to University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospital for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).

Participants: 60 adult inpatients admitted to the UNC Bone Marrow Transplant Unit for allogeneic stem cell transplant.

Procedures (methods): Participants will be admitted for allogeneic HSCT and on the day after transplant randomized to seven days of high dose IV thiamine or placebo. Thiamine levels will be measured weekly and participants will be assessed for evidence of delirium using validated measures. Validated measures will also be used to assess cognitive function, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, functional status, and HRQOL prior to hospitalization and at one, three, and six months after transplant.

Delirium is a common and potentially preventable neuropsychiatric complication in cancer patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that has profound consequences. Among cancer patients hospitalized for HSCT, delirium occurs in approximately 40% of patients and increases the risk of mortality. Long-term, delirium in this population results in worse physical health, mental health, and quality of life. Though strategies to prevent delirium have the potential to significantly improve the lives of people living with cancer, research in this area is extremely limited. Thiamine deficiency is also ubiquitous during HSCT and a known contributor to the development of delirium in other patient populations. High dose intravenous (IV) thiamine is an evidence-based and promising treatment for delirium, but no one has studied IV thiamine as a prevention strategy.

This is a randomized double-blind controlled trial in participants undergoing allogeneic HSCT to determine if high dose IV thiamine can prevent delirium and minimize the deleterious impact of delirium on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), functional status, and other neuropsychiatric outcomes. The investigators will recruit 60 patients admitted for allogeneic HSCT at UNC, randomize them to treatment with high dose IV thiamine (n = 30) versus placebo (n = 30), and systematically evaluate all participants for delirium and related comorbidities. The investigators will use the Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) to measure the severity and duration of delirium immediately prior to transplant and after HSCT until 30 days post-transplant or discharge. If delirium is identified, the DRS will be administered daily until delirium resolves. The investigators will obtain thiamine levels and other laboratory parameters associated with delirium the day after transplant, and continue to monitor thiamine levels weekly thereafter. The investigators will also monitor HRQOL, functional status, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and cognitive function prior to transplant and at one, three, and six months after transplant to elucidate the persistent impact of delirium in this population and the potential for thiamine to mitigate these negative outcomes.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Admission to the UNC Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Unit for allogeneic stem cell transplant
* At least 18 years of age
* Able to speak English
* Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* A history of adverse reaction to IV thiamine
* Pregnancy, confirmed by a negative pregnancy test within 30 days of study enrollment