Without oxygen, how quickly may the brain begin to die?

The brain is highly sensitive to oxygen deprivation, and it can start to suffer irreversible damage fairly quickly. In the absence of oxygen, brain cells begin to die within a matter of minutes. Research indicates that brain function can start to deteriorate after about 4 minutes without oxygen. While some initial damage may occur before this time frame, significant and irreversible brain death becomes more likely if oxygen is not restored within the 4-6 minute range.

This timeframe underscores the importance of immediate medical intervention in situations of suffocation or cardiac arrest, as prompt resuscitation can often help prevent long-term neurological damage. Other options present different time frames, but they do not align with the established medical understanding of how quickly brain cells can die without oxygen.