Cooling the body can have positive affects on children who suffered severe traumatic brain injury according to a new study published in the April Issue of the journal, Neurosurgery. A press release from the authors of the study can be viewed by clicking here.
The study claims that cooling the body (hypothermia) following severe brain trauma may slow down or block the release of chemical substances in the brain that are released when the brain is injured. The release of these chemical substances (termed a chemical cascade) have been thought to lead to brain damage. Cooling the brain can also help to control brain swelling and intracranial pressure, which according to the authors, if left unchecked can lead to further brain damage following the initial injury.
In the past, the Brain Trauma Foundation, has issued guidelines for the treatment of severe brain injury. I am wondering what thoughts, Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, M.D., Ph.D., the President of the Brain Trauma Foundation has in regard to this new study?