Do you really think your competent? doctor and hospital can get this tested in humans?
Triggered Hypothermia Protects the Brain After Injury
Summary: Scientists have discovered a way to induce a hibernation-like state that protects the brain after injury—without using external cooling. By activating a specific population of neurons, researchers created a reversible drop in body temperature that preserved neuron health and improved motor recovery in mice.
Brain imaging revealed reduced inflammation and greater neuron survival in damaged regions. This breakthrough could one day offer a safer, controlled method to harness hypothermia’s neuroprotective effects in treating traumatic brain injury.
Key Facts:
- Internal Hypothermia: Activating certain neurons triggered a reversible, hibernation-like state that lowered body temperature.
- Neuroprotection: Mice treated this way showed better motor performance and neuron survival after brain injury.
- Reduced Inflammation: Brain imaging revealed less neuroinflammation in injured tissue compared to controls.
Source: SfN
Hypothermia can preserve neuron health following brain injury, but complications from external cooling make it less promising therapeutically.
Recent evidence suggests that activating a specific neuron population triggers a reversible, hibernation-like hypothermic state without external cooling, but does this form of hypothermia still preserve neuron health?
In a new Journal of Neuroscience paper, researchers led by Takeshi Sakurai at the University of Tsukuba explored this question using male mice.
The researchers found that triggering this specific hypothermic state in mice improved motor performance following brain injury. Imaging methods showed that neurons also had improved survival in the injured brain area accompanied by less signs of neuroinflammation.
The researchers further identified cellular features consistent with the idea that this form of hypothermia may preserve neural health.
While this work is preclinical, the authors suggest that it unveils a potential way to work around complications from external cooling when using hypothermia as a treatment for traumatic brain injury.
Speaking on future experimental plans, says Sakurai, “Optimizing the timing and duration of this treatment after injury, testing across additional injury models, and evaluating safety and efficacy in larger animals will be important next steps.”
Key Questions Answered:
A: Hypothermia therapy lowers body temperature to slow cellular damage and inflammation after injury, preserving neuron health.
A: Instead of using external cooling, researchers triggered a natural, neuron-driven hypothermic state similar to hibernation.
A: It could help develop safer, more precise hypothermia-based therapies without complications linked to external cooling.
About this neurology research news
Author: SfN Media
Source: SfN
Contact: SfN Media – SfN
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
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