Research progress of selective brain cooling methods in the prehospital care for stroke patients: A narrative review

Xi Chen; Hong An; Di Wu; Xunming Ji

doi:10.4103/bc.bc_88_22

Research progress of selective brain cooling methods in the prehospital care for stroke patients: A narrative review

Brain Circ. 2023 Mar 24;9(1):16-20. doi: 10.4103/bc.bc_88_22. eCollection 2023 Jan-Mar.

Authors

Xi Chen¹, Hong An², Di Wu¹, Xunming Ji¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Neurology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Over the past four decades, therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has long been suggested as a promising neuroprotective treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Much attention has focus on keeping the hypothermic benefits and removing side effects of systemic hypothermia. In the past few years, the advent of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy has taken us into a reperfusion era of AIS treatment. With recent research emphasizing ways to plus neuroprotective treatments to reperfusion therapy, the spotlight is now shifting toward the study of how selective brain hypothermia can offset the drawbacks of systemic hypothermia and be applied in prehospital condition. This mini-review summarizes current brain cooling methods that can be used for inducing selective hypothermia in prehospital care. It will guide the future development of selective cooling methods, extend the application of TH in prehospital care, and provide insights into the prospects of selective hypothermia in AIS.

Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke; neuroprotection; prehospital care; selective hypothermia; therapeutic hypothermia.

Publication types

Review