A therapy for CNS diseases by controlling brain temperatures: A frontier in medical device development

Abstract

Focal brain cooling has distinct power on controlling neuronal excitability through reversibly modulating synaptic transmissions. However, the therapeutic feasibility of focal brain cooling on central nervous system (CNS) diseases still remains unknown. To address the issue, an implantable cooling system was developed and cooling-induced neurological and neurovascular changes were invested in animals and, intraoperatively, in epileptic patients. The results clarified the existence of therapeutic temperatures for CNS diseases and supported the feasibility of a hypothermal device-based therapy.