Abstract
The beneficial effects of mild to moderate hypothermia in experimental models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been demonstrated in a large number of laboratories throughout the world (for review, see Dietrich, 1996 [1] and Gordon, 2001 [2]). Using TBI models of diffuse as well as focal injury, mild and moderate hypothermia have been reported to protect, both histopathologically and functionally. In contrast, posttraumatic hyperthermia worsens traumatic outcome (3–5). Recently, these experimental findings have been supported by clinical data, in which treatment with hypothermia has improved outcome in stroke and trauma patients with severe brain injury (6–8). Based on these data, a resurgence in the potential use of therapeutic hypothermia in experimental models of central nervous system (CNS) injury has occurred. The purpose of this chapter is to review experimental data obtained in animal models of brain trauma demonstrating the beneficial effects of mild to moderate hypothermia and to consider potential mechanisms underlying such hypothermic protection.