Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in pig after cardiac arrest - A new histopathological scoring system for non-specialists.

Introduction: After cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation patients often present with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, which is a major cause of death due to poor neurological outcome. The development of a robust histopathological scoring system for the reliable and easy identification and quantification of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury could lead to a standardization in the evaluation of brain damage. We wanted to establish an easy-to-use neuropathological scoring system to identify and quantify hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Methods: The criteria for regular neurons, hypoxic-ischemic brain injury neurons and neurons with ischemic neuronal change (ischemic change neurons) were established in collaboration with specialized neuropathologists. Nine non-specialist examiners performed cell counting using the mentioned criteria in brain tissue samples from a porcine cardiac arrest model. The statistical analyses were performed using the interclass correlation coefficient for counting data and reliability testing. Results: The inter-rater reliability for regular neurons (ICC 0.68 (0.42 - 0.84; p < 0.001) and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury neurons (ICC 0.87 (0.81 - 0.92; p < 0.001) showed moderate to excellent correlation while ischemic change neurons showed poor reliability. Excellent results were seen for intra-rater reliability for regular neurons (ICC 0.9 (0.68 - 0.97; p < 0.001) and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury neurons (ICC 0.99 (0.83 - 1; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The scoring system provides a reliable method for the discrimination between regular neurons and neurons affected by hypoxic/ischemic injury. This scoring system allows an easy and reliable identification and quantification of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury for non-specialists and offers a standardization to evaluate hypoxic-ischemic brain injury after cardiac arrest.

Deciphering the Protective Role of HIF-1α Downregulation on HIBD through the MALAT1/miR-140-5p/TGFBR1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonates is a substantial cause of mortality and neurodevelopmental impairment, with the exact molecular mechanisms still being elucidated. The involvement of HIF-1α, MALAT1, miR-140-5p, TGFBR1, and the NF-κB signaling pathway in such injury cascades is of increasing research interest due to their pivotal roles in cellular and pathological processes. This study aimed to explore how HIF-1α regulates the MALAT1/miR-140-5p/TGFBR1/NF-κB signaling axis to participate in the molecular mechanisms of HIBD in neonatal rats. Utilizing bioinformatic analyses and a suite of experimental approaches, the study delineated interactions and regulatory relationships among the molecules. Knockdown of HIF-1α was shown to mitigate brain tissue damage in a neonatal HIBD rat model through the MALAT1/miR-140-5p/TGFBR1/NF-κB signaling axis, revealing a protective effect achieved by inhibiting hippocampal neuron apoptosis and potentially guiding the way toward therapeutic interventions in HIBD. This study implicates the HIF-1α mediated regulation of the MALAT1/miR-140-5p/TGFBR1/NF-κB signaling axis in the pathological development of HIBD, offering insights into novel potential interventional strategies.

Prognostic value of grey-white matter ratio obtained within two hours after return of spontaneous circulation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors: A multicenter, observational study.

Background: Grey-white matter ratio (GWR) measured by head computed tomography (CT) scan is known as a neurological prognostication tool for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors. The prognostic value of GWR obtained early (within two hours after return of spontaneous circulation [ROSC]) remains a matter of debate. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, observational study at five hospitals. We included adult OHCA survivors who underwent head CT within two hours following ROSC. GWR values were measured using head CT. Average GWR values were calculated by the mean of the GWR-basal ganglia and GWR-Cerebrum. We divided the patients into poor or favorable neurological outcome groups defined by Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Category scores. The predictive accuracy of GWR performance was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC). The sensitivities and specificities for predicting poor outcome were examined. Results: Of 377 eligible patients, 281 (74.5%) showed poor neurological outcomes at one month after ROSC. Average GWR values of the poor neurological outcome group were significantly lower than those of the favorable neurological outcome. The average GWR value to predict neurological outcome with Youden index was 1.24 with AUC of 0.799. When average GWR values were 1.15 or lower, poor neurological outcomes could be predicted with 100% specificity. Conclusions: GWR values measured by head CT scans early (within two hours after ROSC) demonstrated moderate predictive performance for overall ROSC patients. When limited to the patients with GWR values of 1.15 or lower, poor neurological outcomes could be predicted with high specificity.

Variability in temperature control practices amongst the Influence of Cooling duration on Efficacy in Cardiac Arrest Patients (ICECAP) trial.

AIM: Temperature control is a complex bundled intervention; the synergistic impact of each individual component is ill defined and underreported. Resultantly, the influence of parameter optimization on temperature control's overall neuroprotective effect remains poorly understood. To characterize variability in temperature control parameters and barriers to short pre-induction and induction times, we surveyed sites enrolling in an ongoing multicenter clinical trial. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, survey study evaluating temperature control practices within the Influence of Cooling duration on Efficacy in Cardiac Arrest Patients (ICECAP) trial (NCT04217551). A 23-question web-based survey (Qualtrics) was distributed to the site principal investigators by email. Respondents were asked about site practices pertaining to the use of temperature control, including the request to upload individual institutional protocols. Open-ended responses were analyzed qualitatively by categorizing responses into identified themes. To complement survey level data, records pertaining to the quality of temperature control were extracted from the ICECAP trial database. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 75% (n = 51) including 23.5% (n = 12) survey respondents who uploaded institutional protocols. Most sites reported having institutional protocols for temperature control (n = 41; 80%), including 62.5% (n = 32) who had separate protocols for initiation of temperature control in the emergency department (ED). Fewer sites had protocols specific to sedation or neuromuscular blockade (NMB) management (n = 35, 68.6%). Use of NMB during temperature control induction was variable; 61.7% (n = 29) of sites induced paralysis less than 20% of the time. While most institutional protocols (n = 11, 83.3%) commented on the importance of early initiation of temperature control, this was incongruent with the largest reported barrier, which was clinical nihilism regarding the importance of early temperature control initiation (n = 30, 62.5%). Within the ICECAP trial database, 1 in 2 patients were treated with NMB however, use of NMB and time to initiation of temperature control device varied widely between sites. CONCLUSION: Amongst ICECAP trial sites, there was significant variability in resources, methods, and barriers for early temperature control initiation. Defining and standardizing high-quality temperature control must be prioritized, as it may impact the interpretation of past and current clinical trial findings.

Precise Definition of Porcine Hippocampal Cornu Ammonis 2: High Histoarchitectural Similarity to Humans but Unequal Sensitivity to Hypoxia.

Experimental animal studies of hypoxic-ischemic injury of the hippocampus of pigs are limited due to the unprecise definition of hippocampal subfields, cornu ammonis 1 to 4, compared to humans. Given that the pig model closely mirrors human physiology and serves as an important model for critical care research, a more precise description is necessary to draw valid conclusions applicable to human diseases. In our study, we were able to precisely define the CA2 and its adjacent regions in a domestic pig model by arginine vasopressin receptor 1B (AVPR1B) and calbindin-D28K like (CaBP-Li) expression patterns. Our findings demonstrate that the histoarchitecture of the porcine cornu ammonis subfields closely resembles that of the human hippocampus. Notably, we identified unusually strong neuronal damage in regions of the pig hippocampus following global ischemia, which are typically not susceptible to hypoxic-ischemic damage in humans.

Serial Systemic Immune-Inflammation Indices (SSIIi) as Prognostic Markers in Persistent Hypoxic Brain Injury Post-cardiac Arrest: A Case Report.

This case report presents a novel exploration of serial systemic immune-inflammation indices (SSIIi) as a potential prognostic biomarker in a critical care setting. The subject of this report is a 31-year-old male who, following a heroin overdose, suffered an asystolic cardiac arrest and subsequently passed away two weeks later in the intensive care unit (ICU). The SSIIi, calculated as platelet count × neutrophil count / lymphocyte count, was monitored throughout his stay. The case demonstrates that SSIIi measurements, particularly within the critical initial 24-72 hours, may provide insight into the patient's immune response dynamics following a severe hypoxic event. Specifically, the data suggest that a persistently elevated SSIIi may be indicative of a maladaptive immune response, characterized by ongoing inflammation, which correlates with a deteriorating clinical trajectory. The rapid escalation and sustained high SSIIi values observed in this patient appear to predict a poor outcome. This case underscores the importance of SSIIi as a potential tool for clinicians to assess prognosis in ICU patients, particularly in cases of acute brain injury where hypoxia is a central factor and sepsis is not present. The findings open avenues for further research into SSIIi as an objective measure for guiding treatment decisions and improving outcomes in similar critical care scenarios.

Transcriptomic Hallmarks of Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury: Insights from an in Vitro Model.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic-ischemic injury of neurons is a pathological process observed in several neurological conditions, including ischemic stroke and neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI). An optimal treatment strategy for these conditions remains elusive. The present study delved deeper into the molecular alterations occurring during the injury process in order to identify potential therapeutic targets. METHODS: Oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) serves as an established in vitro model for the simulation of HIBI. This study utilized RNA sequencing to analyze rat primary hippocampal neurons that were subjected to either 0.5 or 2 h of OGD, followed by 0, 9, or 18 h of reperfusion. Differential expression analysis was conducted to identify genes dysregulated during OGD/R. Time-series analysis was used to identify genes exhibiting similar expression patterns over time. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis was conducted to explore their biological functions, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses were performed to identify hub genes. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used for validation of hub-gene expression. RESULTS: The study included a total of 24 samples. Analysis revealed distinct transcriptomic alterations after OGD/R processes, with significant dysregulation of genes such as Txnip, Btg2, Egr1 and Egr2. In the OGD process, 76 genes, in two identified clusters, showed a consistent increase in expression; functional analysis showed involvement of inflammatory responses and signaling pathways like tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and interleukin 17 (IL-17). PPI network analysis suggested that Ccl2, Jun, Cxcl1, Ptprc, and Atf3 were potential hub genes. In the reperfusion process, 274 genes, in three clusters, showed initial upregulation followed by downregulation; functional analysis suggested association with apoptotic processes and neuronal death regulation. PPI network analysis identified Esr1, Igf-1, Edn1, Hmox1, Serpine1, and Spp1 as key hub genes. qRT-PCR validated these trends. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic profile of an in vitro OGD/R process. Key hub genes and pathways were identified, offering potential targets for neuroprotection after hypoxic ischemia.

In vivo neural regeneration via AAV-NeuroD1 gene delivery to astrocytes in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) is a significant contributor to neonatal mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental disability, characterized by massive neuronal loss and reactive astrogliosis. Current therapeutic approaches for neonatal HIBI have been limited to general supportive therapy because of the lack of methods to compensate for irreversible neuronal loss. This study aimed to establish a feasible regenerative therapy for neonatal HIBI utilizing in vivo direct neuronal reprogramming technology. METHODS: Neonatal HIBI was induced in ICR mice at postnatal day 7 by permanent right common carotid artery occlusion and exposure to hypoxia with 8% oxygen and 92% nitrogen for 90 min. Three days after the injury, NeuroD1 was delivered to reactive astrocytes of the injury site using the astrocyte-tropic adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector AAVShH19. AAVShH19 was engineered with the Cre-FLEX system for long-term tracking of infected cells. RESULTS: AAVShH19-mediated ectopic NeuroD1 expression effectively converted astrocytes into GABAergic neurons, and the converted cells exhibited electrophysiological properties and synaptic transmitters. Additionally, we found that NeuroD1-mediated in vivo direct neuronal reprogramming protected injured host neurons and altered the host environment, i.e., decreased the numbers of activated microglia, reactive astrocytes, and toxic A1-type astrocytes, and decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory factors. Furthermore, NeuroD1-treated mice exhibited significantly improved motor functions. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that NeuroD1-mediated in vivo direct neuronal reprogramming technology through AAV gene delivery can be a novel regenerative therapy for neonatal HIBI.

Dietary LPC-Bound n-3 LCPUFA Protects against Neonatal Brain Injury in Mice but Does Not Enhance Stem Cell Therapy.

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is a prominent cause of neurological morbidity, urging the development of novel therapies. Interventions with n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provide neuroprotection and neuroregeneration in neonatal HI animal models. While lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-bound n-3 LCPUFAs enhance brain incorporation, their effect on HI brain injury remains unstudied. This study investigates the efficacy of oral LPC-n-3 LCPUFAs from Lysoveta following neonatal HI in mice and explores potential additive effects in combination with MSC therapy. HI was induced in 9-day-old C57BL/6 mice and Lysoveta was orally supplemented for 7 subsequent days, with or without intranasal MSCs at 3 days post-HI. At 21-28 days post-HI, functional outcome was determined using cylinder rearing, novel object recognition, and open field tasks, followed by the assessment of gray (MAP2) and white (MBP) matter injury. Oral Lysoveta diminished gray and white matter injury but did not ameliorate functional deficits following HI. Lysoveta did not further enhance the therapeutic potential of MSC therapy. In vitro, Lysoveta protected SH-SY5Y neurons against oxidative stress. In conclusion, short-term oral administration of Lysoveta LPC-n-3 LCPUFAs provides neuroprotection against neonatal HI by mitigating oxidative stress injury but does not augment the efficacy of MSC therapy.

Ultrasonic vocalization emission is altered following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in mice.

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury leads to cognitive impairments including social communication disabilities. Current treatments do not sufficiently target these impairments, therefore new tools are needed to examine social communication in models for neonatal brain injury. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during early life show potential as a measurement for social development and reflect landmark developmental stages in neonatal mice. However, changes in USV emission early after HI injury have not been found yet. Our current study examines USV patterns and classes in the first 3 days after HI injury. C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to HI on postnatal day (P)9 and USVs were recorded between P10 and P12. Audio files were analyzed using the VocalMat automated tool. HI-injured mice emitted less USVs, for shorter durations, and at a higher frequency compared to control (sham-operated) littermates. The HI-induced alterations in USVs were most distinct at P10 and in the frequency range of 50-75 kHz. At P10 HI-injured mouse pups also produced different ratios of USV class types compared to control littermates. Moreover, alterations in the duration and frequency were specific to certain USV classes in HI animals compared to controls. Injury in the striatum and hippocampus contributed most to alterations in USV communication after HI. Overall, neonatal HI injury leads to USV alterations in newborn mice which could be used as a tool to study early HI-related social communication deficits.

Lance Adams Syndrome in the Setting of COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Lance-Adams syndrome (LAS) is a rare clinical presentation of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury typically occurring in the setting of cardiac arrest. It is rare for it to be associated with respiratory failure. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic heralded a new cause of respiratory failure, and not much is known about the occurrence of Lance-Adams syndrome in the context of COVID-19 pneumonia. A 23-year-old male was brought to the emergency department (ED) after being found unconscious at home. He had prominent generalized myoclonus in the context of COVID-19 pneumonia and a possible clonazepam overdose. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain with and without contrast revealed findings suggestive of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. A diagnosis of LAS was made based on electroencephalography (EEG). As LAS typically carries a relatively favorable prognosis, aggressive treatment was pursued. This resulted in a fairly good outcome, although he had to be maintained on several antiseizure medications. Our case is a rare occurrence of Lance-Adams syndrome in the setting of respiratory failure and COVID-19 pneumonia in the absence of cardiac arrest. It is critical to distinguish myoclonic status epilepticus (MSE) from Lance-Adams syndrome due to the difference in prognosis. Our case can provide future direction for studies in a larger cohort of patients to see if LAS is frequently associated with respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia in the absence of cardiac arrest. It is important to consider Lance-Adams syndrome as one of the emerging neurological complications of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Treatment strategies for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest associated with traumatic brain injury: A case series.

INTRODUCTION: Collapse after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) can cause severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment strategies for patients with OHCA and TBI. METHODS: We analyzed a consecutive cohort of patients with intrinsic OHCA retrospectively treated between January 2011 and December 2021 at a single critical care center, and presented a case series of seven patients. Patients with collapse-related TBI were examined for the causes and situations of cardiac arrest, laboratory data, radiological images, targeted temperature management (TTM), coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR). RESULTS: Of the 197 patients with intrinsic OHCA, 7 (3.6%) had TBI (age range: 49-70 years; 6 men). All seven patients presented with ventricular fibrillation in the initial electrocardiograms, with four refractory cases treated with ECPR. All patients underwent CAG under heparinization, and four underwent PCI with antiplatelet administration. Initial head computed tomography indicated an intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in three patients. ICH appeared or was exacerbated in six patients after CAG with or without PCI, except in one who underwent delayed PCI. All patients displayed elevated plasma D-dimer levels, and four underwent neurosurgical procedures. Four patients survived (three with cerebral performance category [CPC] 2, one with CPC 3) and three died; two had hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and one had severe TBI. CONCLUSION: Delayed ICH occurred frequently. Individualized management is required based on the extent of brain and cardiac damage, including optimal TTM, PCI procedures, and antiplatelet medications. Early detection of ICH and emergency treatment are critical for multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Akinetic mutism and gait disturbance in a patient with delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy.

We report on a patient with delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL) who showed akinetic mutism and gait disturbance, neural injuries that were demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). A patient was exposed to carbon monoxide (CO) and rapidly recovered; however, two weeks after onset, he began to show cognitive impairment and gait disturbance. At six weeks after CO exposure, he showed akinetic mutism and gait inability. DTT at 6-weeks post-exposure showed discontinuations in neural connectivities of the caudate nucleus to the medial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex in both hemispheres. In addition, the corticoreticulospinal tract revealed severe thinning in both hemispheres.

Integrating rSO2 and EEG monitoring in cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A novel methodology.

Despite improvements in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), survival and neurologic recovery after cardiac arrest remain poor due to ischemia and subsequent reperfusion injury. As the likelihood of survival and favorable neurologic outcome decreases with increasing severity of ischemia during CPR, developing methods to measure the magnitude of ischemia during resuscitation is critical for improving overall outcomes. Cerebral oximetry, which measures regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) by near-infrared spectroscopy, has emerged as a potentially beneficial marker of cerebral ischemia during CPR. In numerous preclinical and clinical studies, higher rSO2 during CPR has been associated with improved cardiac arrest survival and neurologic outcome. There is also emerging evidence that this can be integrated with electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring to provide a bimodal system of brain monitoring during CPR. In this method's review, we discuss the feasibility, application, and implications of this integrated monitoring approach, highlighting its significance for improving clinical outcomes in cardiac arrest management and guiding future research directions.

Clinicians' approach to predicting post-cardiac arrest outcomes for patients enrolled in a United States clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Perceived poor prognosis can lead to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies (WLST) in patients who might otherwise recover. We characterized clinicians' approach to post-arrest prognostication in a multicenter clinical trial. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians who treated a comatose post-cardiac arrest patient enrolled in the Influence of Cooling Duration on Efficacy in Cardiac Arrest Patients (ICECAP) trial (NCT04217551). Two authors independently analyzed each interview using inductive and deductive coding. The clinician reported how they arrived at a prognosis for the specific patient. We summarized the frequency with which clinicians reported using objective diagnostics to formulate their prognosis, and compared the reported approaches to established guidelines. Each respondent provided demographic information and described local neuroprognostication practices. RESULTS: We interviewed 30 clinicians at 19 US hospitals. Most claimed adherence to local hospital neuroprognostication protocols (n = 19). Prognostication led to WLST for perceived poor neurological prognosis in 15/30 patients, of whom most showed inconsistencies with guidelines or trial recommendations, respectively. In 10/15 WLST cases, clinicians reported relying on multimodal testing. A prevalent theme was the use of "clinical gestalt," defined as prognosticating based on a patient's overall appearance or a subjective impression in the absence of objective data. Many clinicians (21/30) reported using clinical gestalt for initial prognostication, with 9/21 expressing high confidence initially. CONCLUSION: Clinicians in our study state they follow neuroprognostication guidelines in general but often do not do so in actual practice. They reported clinical gestalt frequently informed early, highly confident prognostic judgments, and few objective tests changed initial impressions. Subjective prognostication may undermine well-designed trials.

Shining a light on cerebral autoregulation: Are we anywhere near the truth?

The near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived cerebral oximetry index (COx) has become popularized for non-invasive neuromonitoring of cerebrovascular function in post-cardiac arrest patients with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI). We provide commentary on the physiologic underpinnings and assumptions of NIRS and the COx, potential confounds in the context of HIBI, and the implications for the assessment of cerebral autoregulation.

Intranasal Administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosome Alleviates Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury.

Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury arises from inadequate oxygen delivery to the brain, commonly occurring following cardiac arrest, which lacks effective treatments. Recent studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of exosomes released from mesenchymal stem cells. Given the challenge of systemic dilution associated with intravenous administration, intranasal delivery has emerged as a promising approach. In this study, we investigate the effects of intranasally administered exosomes in an animal model. Exosomes were isolated from the cell supernatants using the ultracentrifugation method. Brain injury was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats through a transient four-vessel occlusion model. Intranasal administration was conducted with 3 × 108 exosome particles in 20 µL of PBS or PBS alone, administered daily for 7 days post-injury. Long-term cognitive behavioral assessments, biodistribution of exosomes, and histological evaluations of apoptosis and neuroinflammation were conducted. Exosomes were primarily detected in the olfactory bulb one hour after intranasal administration, subsequently distributing to the striatum and midbrain. Rats treated with exosomes exhibited substantial improvement in cognitive function up to 28 days after the insult, and demonstrated significantly fewer apoptotic cells along with higher neuronal cell survival in the hippocampus. Exosomes were found to be taken up by microglia, leading to a decrease in the expression of cytotoxic inflammatory markers.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics and Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide as Prognostic Indicators in Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury Following Cardiac Arrest.

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics can have adverse effects on neuronal function. We hypothesized that patients with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) showing poor neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest (CA) would exhibit changes in CSF dynamics, leading to abnormalities in gas diffusion within the CSF. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic value of the CSF partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PcsfCO2) in CA survivors who underwent targeted temperature management (TTM). We retrospectively analyzed the 6-month neurological outcomes, CSF, and arterial blood gas parameters of 67 CA survivors. Patients were divided into good and poor neurological outcome groups, and the predictive value of PcsfCO2 for poor neurological outcomes was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Among all patients, 39 (58.2%) had poor neurological outcomes. Significant differences in PcsfCO2 levels between the groups were observed, with lower PcsfCO2 levels on Day 1 showing the highest predictive value at a cutoff of 30 mmHg (area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.823, 77.8%, and 79.0%, respectively). These results suggest that PcsfCO2 might serve not only as a unique marker for the severity of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI), independent of extracorporeal CO2 levels, but also as an objective indicator of changes in CSF dynamics. This study highlights the potential prognostic and diagnostic utility of PcsfCO2 during TTM in CA survivors, emphasizing its importance in evaluating CSF dynamics and neurological recovery post CA. However, larger multicenter studies are warranted to address potential limitations associated with sample size and outcome assessment methods.

Outcome prediction in comatose cardiac arrest patients with initial shockable and non-shockable rhythms.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is presumed poorer in patients with non-shockable than shockable rhythms, frequently leading to treatment withdrawal. Multimodal outcome prediction is recommended 72 h post-arrest in still comatose patients, not considering initial rhythms. We investigated accuracy of outcome predictors in all comatose OHCA survivors, with a particular focus on shockable vs. non-shockable rhythms. METHODS: In this observational NORCAST sub-study, patients still comatose 72 h post-arrest were stratified by shockable vs. non-shockable rhythms for outcome prediction analyzes. Good outcome was defined as cerebral performance category 1-2 within 6 months. False positive rate (FPR) was used for poor and sensitivity for good outcome prediction accuracy. RESULTS: Overall, 72/128 (56%) patients with shockable and 12/50 (24%) with non-shockable rhythms had good outcome (p < .001). For poor outcome prediction, absent pupillary light reflexes (PLR) and corneal reflexes (clinical predictors) 72 h after sedation withdrawal, PLR 96 h post-arrest, and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), all had FPR <0.1% in both groups. Unreactive EEG and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) >60 µg/L 24-72 h post-arrest had better precision in shockable patients. For good outcome, the clinical predictors, SSEP and CT, had 86%-100% sensitivity in both groups. For NSE, sensitivity varied from 22% to 69% 24-72 h post-arrest. The outcome predictors indicated severe brain injury proportionally more often in patients with non-shockable than with shockable rhythms. For all patients, clinical predictors, CT, and SSEP, predicted poor and good outcome with high accuracy. CONCLUSION: Outcome prediction accuracy was comparable for shockable and non-shockable rhythms. PLR and corneal reflexes had best precision 72 h after sedation withdrawal and 96 h post-arrest.

Simple approach to quantify hypoxic-ischemic brain injury severity from computed tomography imaging files after cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Grey-white ratio (GWR) can estimate severity of cytotoxic cerebral edema secondary to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury after cardiac arrest and predict progression to death by neurologic criteria (DNC). Current approaches to calculating GWR are not standardized and have variable interrater reliability. We tested if measures of variance of brain density on early computed tomographic (CT) imaging after cardiac arrest could predict DNC. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study, identifying post-arrest patients treated between 2011 and 2020 at our single center. We extracted demographic data from our registry and Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) files for each patient's first brain CT. We analyzed slices 15-20 of each DICOM, corresponding to the level of the basal ganglia while accommodating differences in patient anatomy. We extracted pixel arrays and converted the radiodensities to Hounsfield units (HU). To focus on brain tissue densities, we excluded HU > 60 and < 10. We calculated the variance of each patient's HU distribution and the difference between the means of a two-group Gaussian finite mixture model. We compared these novel metrics to existing measures of cerebral edema, then randomly divided our data into 80% training and 20% test sets and used logistic regression to predict DNC. RESULTS: Of 1,133 included subjects, 457 (40%) were female, mean (standard deviation) age was 58 (16) years, and 115 (10%) progressed to DNC. CTs were obtained a median [interquartile range] of 4.2 [2.8-5.7] hours post-arrest. Our novel measures correlated weakly with GWR. HU variance, but not difference between mixture model means, differed significantly between subjects with and without sulcal or cistern effacement. GWR outperformed our novel measures in predicting progression to DNC with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.82, compared to HU variance (AUC = 0.73) and the difference between mixture model means (AUC = 0.56). CONCLUSION: There are differences in the distribution of HU on post-arrest CT in patients with qualitative measures of cerebral edema. Current methods to quantify cerebral edema outperform simple measures of attenuation variance on early brain CT. Further analyses could investigate if these measures of variance, or other distributional characteristics of brain density, have improved predictive performance on brain CTs obtained later in the clinical course or derived from discrete regions of anatomical interest.