Portable MRI to identify brain injury after cardiac arrest
Official title: Prospective Identification of Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury Using Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11384708 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A portable, low-field MRI test is being studied to quickly identify brain injury in adults after cardiac arrest to guide treatment in the emergency room or ICU.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $210,052 |
| NIH project number | 5R21NS145048-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384708 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+ years) who have survived cardiac arrest and are in or moving through the emergency department or intensive care unit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without acute brain injury or those not undergoing imaging assessments may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to use a small, portable MRI device to detect brain injury early in patients who have survived cardiac arrest. By comparing portable MRI results with traditional high-field MRI, the study seeks reliable imaging signs of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. The goal is to create useful biomarkers and endpoints that clinicians can use in real time to tailor therapies. The study will enroll adults who have experienced cardiac arrest and are in critical care settings to build a large, prospective observational cohort. The research is conducted at Yale University with patient-level data and imaging analyses planned across the acute care environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians could more quickly identify the extent of brain injury after cardiac arrest and adjust treatments to improve outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work supports portable MRI feasibility in critical care and its potential to reflect brain injury, though large-scale prospective data are needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beekman, Rachel — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Beekman, Rachel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Waixenicin A-based therapy for newborn brain injury
A new drug-target approach aims to protect babies’ brains after oxygen deprivation at birth.
-
AI-enhanced virtual reality tool to support remote emergency brain surgery training in Tanzania
A new AI-powered virtual reality tool helps non-experts in low-resource areas get real-time remote guidance for emergency traumatic brain injury surgery.
-
Modulating a brain lipid to reduce injury after newborn brain injury
Aims to test a treatment that changes a brain lipid to lessen damage after a baby’s brain has been deprived of oxygen.
-
How head injury affects the heart and blood vessels
This project aims to find out whether traumatic brain injuries make people more likely to develop hardened arteries and heart problems, especially among veterans.
-
Brain injury risk in preterm babies with heart disease and how surgery choices affect their brains
This project follows newborns with congenital heart disease born early to understand how their brains are affected and how different surgical approaches might influence outcomes.
-
Neural targets for improving function in Veterans with alcohol use disorder and mild brain injury
This project tests a targeted brain-stimulation approach to help Veterans who have both alcohol use problems and mild traumatic brain injury improve daily functioning.
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.