By: Daniel Glaser | How to cool down our New Year brains | Daniel Glaser | Neuroscience | The Guardian
Therapeutic hypothermia could offer guidance as we recover from the festive period, says Daniel Glaser
Feeling a little bruised after the excesses of New Year and the festive period? In these cold, dark days we may find a treatment for more serious neurotrauma instructive. Since the 1940s, many studies have shown the benefits of therapeutic hypothermia, or cooling the brain.
In terms of energy supply, the brain exists in a precarious balance even in normal function. Fuel reserves are limited as brain cells are tightly packed to keep wiring lengths to a minimum. Cooling the brain allows the overstretched metabolism to concentrate on repair.
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