If the heart stops for 20 minutes, does the brain die?

Fatih Ürek, who recently suffered a heart attack at home and whose heart was restarted after 20 minutes of medical team efforts, continues his treatment in intensive care.

Experts point out that the brain, rather than the heart, determines the recovery process in sudden cardiac arrest.

Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Derya Uludüz shared the following information about the effects of a stopped heart on the brain:

Prof. Dr. Derya Uludüz

What happens in the body?

When the heart stops, the human body and brain face a crisis. When blood flow is suddenly cut off, every drop of oxygen-carrying blood is prevented from reaching the brain.

When deprived of oxygen, the brain stops producing energy almost immediately; nerve cells lose their electrical signals, the cell membrane breaks down, and within seconds, a process that is difficult to reverse begins.

Which areas may be damaged?

Memory regions such as the hippocampus, frontal cortex, and limbic system are particularly susceptible to damage. Consequently, impairments in functions such as memory, attention, decision-making, and emotional balance can occur.

How long can the brain withstand lack of oxygen?

The cardiac arrest experienced by Fatih Ürek and the subsequent 20 minutes of oxygen deprivation in the brain is a difficult process.

Normally, brain tissue can only withstand a lack of oxygen for 4 to 6 minutes. If the absence of oxygen exceeds 10 minutes, permanent damage is inevitable.

How can it be protected?

However, the brain can be protected by extremely rapid cardiac massage and lowering body temperature, that is, therapeutic hypothermia.

The cooled brain enters a state of hibernation, where cells' oxygen needs decrease and metabolism slows. This can allow the brain to survive for up to 15–20 minutes.

Smelling lemon lavender

Scents like lemon, lavender, rosemary, and bergamot reach the limbic system directly through the nose. This area is the center of memory and emotions. Olfactory stimulation triggers dopamine and serotonin production in the brain, creating a sense of mental arousal and happiness. A two-minute olfactory awareness practice every morning promotes mental clarity throughout the day.

HEART AND BRAIN Will everything be okay when the heart starts working again?

The extent to which brain tissue is preserved when the heart is pumped depends not only on the duration of the oxygen interruption but also on how oxygen is returned to the cells. Re-oxygenation of brain tissue can trigger not only recovery, as expected, but also secondary damage called reperfusion injury. This is because the brain's window of time between life and death is the most vulnerable to irreversible cell death.

Ways to Structure the Brain

Both healthy and brain-damaged individuals can strengthen their brain health by:

Listen to 40 Hz music

Listening to 40 Hz music for 15 minutes a day (by typing this frequency into the music channel) can increase the brain's ability to focus and clarity. This practice has even yielded promising results in Alzheimer's studies.

Do breathing exercises

Rhythmic breathing activates the vagus nerve, which balances the brain's stress system.

Even 5–10 minutes of breathing exercise every day helps establish better communication between brain cells.

Mirror therapy

It is an effective method used to restore motor skills in patients with brain damage.

When a person looks in a mirror and moves their unaffected hand, the brain interprets this image as the injured hand also moving. This illusion activates the mirror neuron system and retrains the brain's movement centers.

Using different hands

Using your unfamiliar hand for a few minutes each day—for example, writing or brushing your teeth with your right hand if you're left-handed—strengthens communication between the two hemispheres of the brain.

Dancing and singing

The brain learns things best when more than one sense is engaged at the same time.

Activities such as dancing, singing, or painting with music stimulate motor, auditory, and emotional areas simultaneously.

Multisensory experience is one of the methods that most effectively fosters neuroplasticity.

Learning a new language

It naturally promotes neuroplasticity by enhancing the brain's cognitive functions. Scientific research has shown that participants learning a new language experience an increase in gray matter in their brains.

Gray matter has a memory-protective effect, especially in old age.

Long fasting period

Extending between meals increases gray matter in the brain because it allows the organs to rest. Avoiding food after 7:00 PM is especially beneficial for the brain.