Reducing biased 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-11468061 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 3R01NS128342-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11468061 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who survive cardiac arrest and are receiving life-sustaining treatment in the ICU with concern for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury are the ideal candidates for this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are already clearly brain-dead or whose prognosis is determined by other irreversible medical conditions are unlikely to benefit from the findings.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one survive a cardiac arrest and have possible brain injury, this work follows patients treated in both the US and Brazil, where practices about continuing life support differ. Researchers will compare neurologic exams, brain scans, electrical brain tests, and blood markers to see which signs truly predict long-term recovery. Because Brazil tends to maintain life-sustaining treatment longer, the team can observe outcomes without early withdrawal of care and identify which tests are most reliable. The goal is to reduce cases where life support is stopped too soon and to give families clearer information about likely recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians make more accurate predictions about brain recovery after cardiac arrest, reducing premature withdrawal of life support and improving chances for recovery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous prognostic studies have been limited by early withdrawal of life support and resulting bias, and using cross-country comparisons to overcome this bias is a relatively new and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
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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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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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.