Brain Activity Could Destabilize The Heart When Near-Death

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School found that as the body slows down just before it dies, there's a "storm" in the last moments of brain activity just seconds before the heart gives out, as well.

The findings hold the potential to save cardiac patients near death, according to new findings published in the journal PNAS Early Edition.

"Despite the loss of consciousness and absence of signs of life, internally the brain exhibits sustained, organized activity and increased communication with the heart, which one may guess is an effort to save the heart," said senior study author Jimo Borjigin, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and associate professor of molecular and integrative physiology, in a news release.

For the study, researchers looked at the hearts and brains of rats during experimental asphyxiation. Findings revealed an immediate release of more than a dozen neurochemicals and an activation of brain-heart connectivity. They also used electrocardiomatrix to study the brain signals and how they synched up with the heart rhythm following a dramatic drop in heart rate.

Findings revealed that blocking the brain's outflow delayed ventricular fibrillation, resulting in the lower chambers of the heart losing their ability to properly pump blood.

"The study suggests that a pharmacological blockade of the brain's electrical connections to the heart during cardiac arrest may improve the chances of survival in cardiac arrest patients," Borjigin said.