[Delayed postresuscitation degenerative changes in the brain and ways of studying their pathogenesis]

Experiments with rats resuscitated after clinical death compatible with a complete and relatively rapid recovery of the neurologic status proved that prolonged (a follow-up of up to 9 months) and varying in time changes in a number of parameters of the higher nervous activity and behaviour occur in the postresuscitation period. Postresuscitation changes in behaviour correlate with the data on the degenerative changes in a number of cerebral structures of resuscitated rats progressing over 9 to 12 months. The available data of functional and morphological studies indicate the possibility of development of latent slowly progressing degenerative changes in the CNS of the organisms surviving clinical death and resuscitation. These changes reflect the development of postresuscitation disease and may become the cause of delayed encephalopathies. The problem of the possible mechanisms of development of progressive postresuscitation degeneration of the central nervous system and approaches to studies there of is discussed.