• Bihua Chen, Feng-Qing Song, Lei-Lei Sun, Ling-Yan Lei, Wei-Ni Gan, Meng-Hua Chen, and Yongqin Li.
• School of Biomedical Engineering, Third Military Medical University and Chongqing University, Chongqing 400038, China.
• Biomed Res Int. 2013 Jan 1;2013:312137.

PurposeTo investigate the effect of hypothermia on 96 hr neurological outcome and survival by quantitatively characterizing early postresuscitation EEG in a rat model of cardiac arrest.Materials And MethodsIn twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats, cardiac arrest was induced through high frequency transesophageal cardiac pacing. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated after 5 mins untreated arrest. Immediately after resuscitation, animals were randomized to either 2 hrs of hypothermia (N = 10) or normothermia (N = 10). EEG, ECG, aortic pressure, and core temperature were continuously recorded for 6 hrs. Neurological outcome was evaluated daily during the 96 hrs postresuscitation period.ResultsNo differences in the baseline measurements and resuscitation outcome were observed between groups. However, 96 hr neurological deficit score (204 ± 255 versus 500 ± 0, P = 0.005) and survival (6/10 versus 0/10, P = 0.011) were significantly better in the hypothermic group. Quantitative analysis of early postresuscitation EEG revealed that burst frequency and spectrum entropy were greatly improved in the hypothermic group and correlated with 96 hr neurological outcome and survival.ConclusionThe improved burst frequency during burst suppression period and preserved spectrum entropy after restoration of continuous background EEG activity for animals treated with hypothermia predicted favorable neurological outcome and survival in this rat model of cardiac arrest.

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