The Link Between UTIs, Delirium, and Dementia

Urinary tract infections are common in older adults, but for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, they may do more than cause physical discomfort. Research suggests UTIs can trigger delirium — a sudden change in attention, awareness, and thinking — and may contribute to worsening cognitive symptoms.

Dr. Shouri Lahiri joins us to discuss how infections can affect the brain, why people living with dementia may be especially vulnerable to UTI-related delirium, and what families should know about recognizing sudden changes in behavior, confusion, or cognition. He’ll also share what his research is revealing about the immune response behind delirium and how early recognition and treatment may help protect brain health.

Lahiri is director of the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit and director of Neurocritical Care Research at Cedars-Sinai. His clinical and research work focuses on the links between critical illness, inflammation, delirium, and neurological injury.

Join us Friday, July 31, at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET for a Live Talk with Lahiri about how UTIs can trigger delirium, why this matters for people living with dementia, and what patients, care partners, and families should know.

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