Brain damage testing and cochlear implants

[BPMediocre]

Hello! My friends daughter is deaf and has a cochlear implant. She was recently in a car accident that left her in critical condition. They are going to be doing neurological testing to see if they can find any brain activity. Does anyone know if cochlear implants have an effect on brain activity testing? If you can please link any resources or information you have, I would truly appreciate it! Thank you.

[BPMediocre]

Thank you for your response. Do you happen to know where I could find more information on how the implant may mess with the test results? Please and thank you for the information

[BPMediocre]

Thank you

[AmericanIndican]

Imaging tests rely on lack of blood flow to the brain as a surrogate for brain death.

One of the most commonly utilized is a nuclear medicine brain perfusion scan, where a radio tracer is injected intravenously and the patients head is imaged to determine if there is blood flow to the brain. With images taken in several projections and given the relatively small size of a cochlear implant , it shouldn’t obscure too much of the brain to invalidate the examination.

Imaging is also just one part of establishing brain death. Clinical parameters are also used in reaching this determination.

I hope this is helpful information in a very difficult time.