Improving predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
Addressing an Inherent Bias in Neuroprognostication: A Collaboration Between the US and Brazil to Reduce the Impact of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Cardiac ARrEst (SPARE)
This project aims to help doctors make more accurate predictions about brain recovery for people who survive a cardiac arrest by comparing outcomes in the U.S. and Brazil.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238502 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one survive a cardiac arrest, doctors use exams, brain scans, blood tests, and electrical recordings to predict recovery, but early decisions to stop life support can bias those predictions. This project follows patients treated in hospitals in the U.S. and Brazil, where cultural differences mean life support is often continued longer, allowing researchers to see true recovery patterns. By comparing similar patients across these settings and linking clinical tests to longer-term outcomes, the team will look for which tests reliably indicate poor recovery versus those affected by early withdrawal of care. The goal is to find clearer signs that help families and clinicians make better, less rushed decisions about continuing life-sustaining treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have been resuscitated after a cardiac arrest and are receiving critical care at participating hospitals in the United States or Brazil.
Not a fit: People with non-hypoxic brain injuries, children, or individuals not treated at participating centers are unlikely to be directly included or to benefit immediately from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce premature withdrawal of life support and help identify patients who have a real chance of meaningful brain recovery.
How similar studies have performed: Existing prognostic tools have shown value but are limited by early withdrawal-of-care bias, and comparing outcomes across countries with different practices is a novel way to find less biased predictors.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Medical Center — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greer, David Matthew — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Greer, David Matthew
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 below.