Spreading depolarization and repolarization as biomarkers of neurological recovery after cardiac arrest

A method of improving a neurological outcome in a subject during cardiac arrest, comprising:

• a. detecting spreading depolarization (SD), or a lack or delay of the SD, in a brain of the subject post cardiac arrest to generate SD data;
• b. resuscitating the subject;
• c. detecting repolarization (RP), or a lack or delay of the RP, in the brain of the subject post resuscitation to generate RP data;
• d. comparing the SD and RP data to one or more metrics to determine a neurological outcome score;
• e. identifying a neurological condition of the brain based on the neurological outcome score;
• f. administering a treatment to the subject to improve the neurological condition of the brain;
• and
• g. determining severity and prognosticating the neurological outcome of the neurological condition using the neurological outcome score;
• wherein the SD is a biomarker for the neurological outcome of the brain post-cardiac arrest, wherein the RP is a biomarker for the neurological outcome of the brain post-resuscitation, and wherein prognosticating the neurological outcome of the neurological condition of the brain is determined in real-time.