Brahmsteadt presents research on early brain changes after cardiac arrest

Alex Brahmsteadt, DO, a neurocritical care fellow, presented a research poster at the Neurocritical Care Society 2025 conference in Montreal, Canada, in late September. The poster, Characterization of quantitative electroencephalography findings preceding herniation in hypoxemic-ischemic brain injury following cardiac arrest, shared findings from a recent study at Harborview Medical Center.

The research team looked at brain wave data from patients who were admitted after cardiac arrest and later progressed to brain death. They used a tool called quantitative EEG (qEEG) to track changes in brain activity. The study found that certain patterns—specifically, a drop in low- and high-frequency signals—often appeared up to 12 hours before doctors saw physical signs of brain herniation, a dangerous shift in brain tissue caused by swelling or pressure.

The team is preparing a manuscript and plans to share more findings soon.