Healthy young volunteers in Edinburgh are taking part in a trial for a new treatment for stroke by having their brains cooled under a special ‘cooling cap’, as part of a project taking place across Europe.
About 1,000 Europeans die from a stroke every day, with twice as many being left disabled.
The technique is expected to show whether cooling the brain shortly after a stroke reduces damage to the brain. It is already used elsewhere for treating people at risk of brain injury, including newborn babies and cardiac patients.
Results from previous pilot studies indicate that reductions in the brain temperature of as little as 1C could be beneficial and may contribute to significantly reduced mortality rates and improved quality of life for stroke survivors.
It is hoped that in time, the brain cooling process could be started by ambulance crews, allowing treatment for a patient to begin very quickly.
Read the source article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22368408
