# Noninvasive measures of cerebral perfusion, autoregulation, and their relationship with neurologic injury in patients who remain comatose post cardiac arrest

> **NIH NIH R21** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2020 · $462,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
More than 500,000 people in the United States suffer a sudden cardiac arrest (CA) each year, and most
successfully resuscitated patients ultimately die from hypoxic ischemic brain injury. Given the substantial
neurologic morbidity and mortality in patients who remain comatose following resuscitated cardiac arrest, there
is a critical need to identify therapies and treatment strategies to reduce neurologic injury in these patients.
Cerebral perfusion is an important contributor to neurologic outcomes in resuscitated CA patients who remain
comatose following return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Therefore, the ability to continuously monitor
cerebral perfusion is essential. The overall objective of this proposal is to evaluate the association between
noninvasive measures of cerebral perfusion and neurologic injury in resuscitated CA patients who remain
comatose, using innovative technology that directly monitors both cerebral blood flow [rCBF] and regional
cerebral oxygen saturation [rSO2]. Our central hypothesis is that real-time noninvasive measurements of
cerebral perfusion (rSO2 and rCBF) and measures of autoregulation are associated with neurologic injury, and
can help identify optimal and personalized perfusion targets in patients who remain comatose following
resuscitated CA. We propose to determine the association between cerebral perfusion rBCF and rSO2
measures and neurologic injury, the association between cerebral autoregulation and neurologic injury and the
effect of body temperature on cerebral perfusion and autoregulation. The ultimate goal is provide the
foundation for developing personalized cerebral perfusion targets to guide hemodynamic strategies in lieu of
current guideline recommendations that provide a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9957528
- **Project number:** 1R21NS116571-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Stefan Alexandru Carp
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $462,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2022-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9957528

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9957528, Noninvasive measures of cerebral perfusion, autoregulation, and their relationship with neurologic injury in patients who remain comatose post cardiac arrest (1R21NS116571-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9957528. Licensed CC0.

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