Use of Prolonged Hypothermia to Treat Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Abstract

Therapeutic (induced) hypothermia (TH) has been extensively studied as a means to reduce brain injury following global and focal cerebral ischemia, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Here, we briefly review the clinical and experimental evidence supporting the use of TH in each condition. We emphasize the importance of systematically evaluating treatment parameters, especially the duration of cooling, in each condition. We contend that TH provides considerable protection after global and focal cerebral ischemia, especially when cooling is prolonged (e.g., >24 h). However, there is presently insufficient evidence to support the clinical use of TH for ICH and SAH. In any case, further animal work is needed to develop optimized protocols for treating cardiac arrest (global ischemia), and to maximize the likelihood of successful clinical translation in focal cerebral ischemia.