Brain–heart interactions may predict recovery from oxygen loss
· Medical Xpressedited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
Sadie Harley
Scientific Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Andrew Zinin
Chief Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
peer-reviewed publication
trusted source
proofread
The GIST Add to Preferred Sources
Low oxygen levels in the brain, or cerebral anoxia, are a leading cause of death worldwide. Patients who recover from cerebral anoxia deal with persistent neurological issues that worsen their quality of life. Building on previous work showing that brain–heart interactions can predict the severity of symptoms and survival, Diego Candia-Rivera, Sofia Carrion-Falgarona and colleagues from the Paris Brain Institute assessed whether brain–heart interactions in a rat model of severe oxygen loss can predict survival after resuscitation. The work is published in eNeuro.
After near death from oxygen loss, rat brain activity was largely dampened, and heart rate variability was high. Of particular note, heart activity coupled with brain activity in the somatosensory cortex and hippocampus accurately predicted rat survival.
According to the researchers, this work reveals brain–heart interactions that have a relationship with resilience after a near-death episode. The research team hopes these findings will pave the way for work in humans, informing future explorations on predictors in patient populations that can be leveraged as a means of gauging recovery outcomes.
Publication details
Brain—Heart Interactions Underlying Differential Recovery After Transient Systemic Anoxia, eNeuro (2026). DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0189-26.2026
Journal information: eNeuro
Clinical categories
NeurologyCardiologyCritical care medicine Provided by Society for Neuroscience Who's behind this story?
Sadie Harley
BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
Citation: Brain–heart interactions may predict recovery from oxygen loss (2026, November 15) retrieved 15 November 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-brainheart-interactions-recovery-oxygen-loss.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.