Decreased water exchange rate across blood-brain barrier within 14 days after cardiac arrest

Motivation: The alteration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cerebral perfusion in the short period of time after cardiac arrest remains unclear. Goal(s): To determine the changes of BBB and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with cardiac arrest. Approach: Diffusion prepared pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling was used to estimate the water exchange rate across the BBB (kw) and CBF in 21 cardiac arrest patients and 21 matched healthy controls. Results: The kw was significantly decreased in cardiac arrest patients compared to healthy controls, whereas CBF was not significantly different. Reduced kw was associated with neurologic dysfunction in surviving patients after cardiac arrest. Impact: This study demonstrated that the kw decreased within 14 days after cardiac arrest, suggesting that BBB dysfunction occurred in the short term after cardiac arrest, which will help clarify the pathophysiological changes in the brain after cardiac arrest.