A recent study gives insight into the #neurobiology of dying. Before the process of dying neurologists closely monitored patients with devastating #brain injuries following Do Not Resuscitate-Comfort Care orders. This gave key insights into the mechanisms and timing of events in the brain and the circulatory system during the dying process.

The objective of emergency treatment is to restore circulation to prevent #cerebral ischemia. #Cerebral ischemia is a condition that occurs when blood flow is restricted to the brain, which then causes the #death of brain tissue. Understanding the brain’s response to energy depletion can help us estimate how much time is available for resuscitation until irreversible damage has occurred. The goal is to develop methods that can prolong this window before irreversible damage takes place. Injury to central neurons begins only during the progressive and uncontrollable #depolarization of neurons called anoxic depolarization. This Anoxic depolarization “wave” is potentially reversible and typically starts 2 to 5 minutes after the emergence of severe ischemia. This marks the beginning of a toxic change within the neuron which eventually leads to irreversible brain injury.