The role of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activity in the development of delirium in acute stroke

AIM: Our study aimed to test whether plasma acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzyme activity were related to the presence and intensity of delirium in acute stroke patients. METHODS: We carried out a matched (age and gender) case-control study, in a sample of consecutive patients with an acute infarct or intracerebral haemorrhage (≤7 days). We assessed delirium using the DSM-5 criteria and the Delirium Rating Scale, and we measured plasma acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzyme activity after the patient's admission in the stroke unit and before hospital discharge. Mantel-Haenszel's chi-square was used to test bivariate associations between cases (delirious patients) and controls (non-delirious patients). RESULTS: At admission in the stroke unit, cases and controls did not present significant differences in plasma acetylcholinesterase or butyrylcholinesterase activity. At hospital discharge (18 cases and 21 controls) patients who have had delirium at admission had higher levels of butyrylcholinesterase activity. Butyrylcholinesterase activity may secondarily increase due to the inflammatory process associated with neuronal dysfunction in delirium patients.