Use of cerebral nitric oxide donors in the assessment of the extent of brain dysfunction following injury

A method for assessing the extent of, or risk of developing, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) following subarachnoid haemorrhage, said method comprising:

• (i) contacting at least a portion of the brain of a subarachnoid haemorrhage subject with a cerebral nitric oxide donor, wherein said nitric oxide donor is a nitrite salt;
• (ii) monitoring at least a portion of the brain of the subject with qEEG;
• (iii) determining whether or not there is a change in a qEEG parameter indicative of DCI within 360 minutes of said contact between the nitric oxide donor and the brain of the subject;
• and,
• (iv) assessing the subject's extent of, or risk of developing, DCI prior to the contact with the nitric oxide donor, wherein an improvement in the qEEG parameter indicative of DCI results in an assessment of a lower extent of DCI or lower risk of developing DCI, as compared to the extent of DCI or the risk of developing DCI in the brain of a subarachnoid haemorrhage subject that was contacted with the cerebral nitric oxide donor, but where the qEEG of that subject did not show an improvement in the qEEG parameter indicative of DCI.