UK doctors investigate effects of brain cooling

01/06/2010

Doctors at Imperial College Healthcare in London are testing new treatment methods that involve cooling the brains of people with head injuries.

The work is part of a global study involving up to 1,800 patients who have high pressure levels in their skulls.

The treatment involves inserting cooled fluid into a patient via a drip reducing their body temperature by between 5 and 2°C.

One group of patients will be given the cooling treatment plus the normal care given to those with severe brain injuries. Another group will just be given the regular treatment.

After six months tests will be carried out to see whether one group of patients is more able to carry out tasks such as cooking.

A number of different studies are investigating the effects of brain cooling. We have previously covered research in the US that applied cooling techniques to patients that had suffered a concussion – read more.

John Davis, an expert in brain injuries at Irwin Mitchell said: “We are keeping a close eye on the findings of this research. While compensation helps our clients and their families to adapt to their new circumstances, almost all of them would tell you that they would sacrifice any money received in exchange for improvements in their health. If this research finds that brain cooling helps brain injured people to live more independent lives then we would hope that it would soon become commonplace when treating brain injuries."

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