Cardiac arrest affects over half a million people in the US every year, leading to impaired neurological function primarily caused by hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. To develop better treatments, we aim to understand how cardiac arrest affects brain physiology, including microcirculatory blood flow and oxygen use, through experimental research. Advanced imaging and the monitoring methods have been established to investigate the cerebral blood flow after cardiac arrest.

However, obtaining a complete image of cerebral circulation during cardiac arrest and early resuscitation remains challenging. Our protocol involves simulating clinical asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest in mice, followed by recitation without chest compressions. This model enables the use of advanced imaging methods to study brain physiology in mice throughout the cardiac arrest process.

This model does not require complex surgical interventions, and is relatively easier to perform. More importantly, during cardiac arrest and resuscitation, animals can be kept in prone proposition with minimal animal movement, which greatly facilitates the use of various imaging modalities. The impact of cardiac arrest and its treatment strategies, such as epinephrine administration, brain hemodynamics and the neurological function, is not yet fully understood.

Our mouse model is ideal for investigating the dynamic alterations in brain circulation, vascular responses, and brain tissue oxygenation that occur during a cardiac arrest and resuscitation.