Suspended Animation: Fact or fiction?

October 2, 2007

Erica Nordby, a toddler in Edmonton Canada had wandered out alone into the frigid night. Before she was resuscitated her heart had stopped beating for two hours and her body temperature had dropped to 61 degrees Fahrenheit. She was brought back to life and has no lasting effects from the experience.

Chilling stories like these intrigued Dr. Mark Roth, an investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. After reading accounts of people being revived after long periods in the cold, he became interested in the idea that humans may have metabolic flexibility and be able to decrease their respiration and heartbeat and, in effect, “turn themselves off” in response to physical or environmental stress. These stories may provide clues about our capacity to briefly suspend our vital functions when environmental conditions get rough. (FirstScience )