Better recovery predictions after cardiac arrest
Official title: Optimizing Recovery prediction after Cardiac Arrest (ORCA)
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11258049 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops computer tools to give faster, clearer recovery outlooks for people who are comatose after a cardiac arrest.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $624,026 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS124642-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11258049 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have been resuscitated after cardiac arrest and are comatose or suspected of having anoxic brain injury while cared for in an intensive care unit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are already awake and recovering, those whose care did not include continuous monitoring like EEG, or those far removed from the acute event are unlikely to get direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one is resuscitated after cardiac arrest and remains unconscious, this team will use data already collected in the ICU—like EEG recordings, heart and breathing measures, medications, and clinical notes—to look for patterns that signal recovery. They will train machine learning models on a very large, organized dataset of past patients to make predictions sooner and with clearer explanations. The team is taking special steps to avoid errors introduced by imperfect human labels so the tools are fairer and more reliable. The goal is to deliver usable bedside information that clinicians and families can use during early decision-making.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could give families and doctors faster, more accurate information about chances of recovery to guide care decisions and planning.
How similar studies have gone: Some smaller studies using EEG and vital-sign data have shown promising signals, but comprehensive, bias-resistant tools for rapid bedside prognosis remain relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Elmer, Jonathan — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Elmer, Jonathan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Multi-center study on how ventilation during CPR relates to cardiac arrest outcomes
A large, real-world study will look at how ventilation during CPR affects survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in adults.
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Specialized post-arrest care after cardiac arrest
A large, nationwide effort tests whether transferring cardiac arrest patients to a specialized post-arrest care center improves recovery compared with usual care.
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Reduce bias in predicting brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project aims to make brain-recovery predictions more accurate for people who survive cardiac arrest by comparing outcomes between the United States and Brazil.
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Fairer brain recovery predictions after cardiac arrest through U.S.–Brazil collaboration
This project aims to find better ways to predict brain recovery for people who survive cardiac arrest but have possible brain injury.
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Improving predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project compares outcomes after cardiac arrest in the U.S. and Brazil to learn which tests best predict who will regain brain function for people who survive cardiac arrest.
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Reducing biased predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project looks at cardiac arrest survivors in the US and Brazil to find more accurate ways to predict brain recovery and avoid premature stopping of life support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.