Improving predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
Official title: 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)
Funded at Boston Medical Center · NIH-11468062 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 start | January 22, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $25,758 |
| NIH project number | 3R01NS128342-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11468062 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who survive a cardiac arrest and are receiving critical care with concern for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury at participating hospitals in the U.S. or Brazil would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who never had a cardiac arrest, who have immediately fatal injuries, or who are not treated at participating centers are unlikely to be eligible or benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If I survive a cardiac arrest, this project will follow patients treated in hospitals in the U.S. and Brazil to see how their brains recover over time. Researchers will collect neurologic exams, brain scans, blood biomarkers, and electrophysiology (EEG) and then track functional and cognitive outcomes. Because Brazilian centers often continue life-sustaining treatment longer, the team can observe recovery without early withdrawal-of-care bias and identify clearer predictors of poor or good outcome. The work is led by Boston Medical Center in partnership with Brazilian hospitals using real patient data and follow-up visits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give families and clinicians clearer and more accurate information about brain recovery after cardiac arrest and help avoid premature withdrawal of life support.
How similar studies have gone: Previous prognostic studies have been limited by early withdrawal-of-care bias, so this cross-country comparison using prolonged support in Brazil is a relatively novel approach built on established neurologic tests.
Where this research is happening
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Boston Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greer, David Matthew — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Greer, David Matthew
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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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.
-
Pediatric cooling duration to improve brain recovery after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
This study tests the best length of cooling after cardiac arrest in children to help more kids recover with better brain function.
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.