Enhancing early detection of acute brain injury using heart rate variability in patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Shivalika Khanduja, Prachi Agarwal, Andrew Kalra, Mingfeng Cao, Yaman B. Ahmed, Glenn Whitman, Nitish V. Thakor, Sung-Min Cho, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care, Department of Surgery, Heart and Vascular Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Division of Neuroscience Critical Care, Departments of Neurology and Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Perfusion

Published online on April 18, 2026

Abstract

Perfusion, Ahead of Print.
IntroductionEarly detection of acute brain injury (ABI) in patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is challenging. We aimed to investigate if heart rate variability (HRV) in the first 24 h of ECMO cannulation correlated with ...