Traditionally, induced hypothermia has been used as a tool to protect brain cells in the presence of oxygen deprivation. But physicians are now considering how hypothermia may help to prevent brain damage due to stroke. Maxim Hammer, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA, discusses how hypothermia, when combined with other therapies, may be effective in decreasing mortality and improving outcomes for patients with brain swelling brought on by stroke.
