Ona Wu1, Leonardo M. Batista2,
Thomas Benner1, A. Gregory Sorensen1, Karen L. Furie2,
David M. Greer2,3
1Athinoula A. Martinos
Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown,
MA, United States; 2Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General
Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; 3Department of Neurology,
Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
Cardiac arrest survivors who were still comatose 3 days post-resuscitation were analyzed to investigate the utility of diffusion tensor imaging in identifying patients with a good chance of long-term recovery, defined by 6-month modified Rankin Scale score <=4. Imaging studies performed more than 72 hours from resuscitation showed significant differences in terms of good and poor outcome. Studies performed earlier than 72 hours were inconclusive between patients with good and poor outcome. For patients who are still in a comatose state, late imaging can provide useful information regarding the patients chances for recovery.