Get the printable version. View the large type version. The brain is a thirsty organ.
Brain cells die, and memory and other brain functions begin to wither.
Researchers led by cardiologist Neil Grubb of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh have now measured the damage. Team member Ronan O'Carroll of the University of St. Andrews reported the results of the study last October at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Miami Beach, Florida. In an earlier study of 35 cardiac-arrest patients, the researchers had found that all but 7 had suffered mild to severe memory loss. The impairments showed up in the ability to remember names, appointments, and the location of personal items. As a result, the researchers expected to find most of the damage in the hippocampus , a part of the brain that helps transform recent experiences into enduring memories.