Neck Cooling as a Non-Invasive Method to Lower Brain Temperature in Healthy Adults

University of Vermont22 enrolled

Overview

The objective of this study was to clarify whether neck cooling can be used to non-invasively lower brain temperature in healthy adults.

Healthy adults were randomized to undergo an intervention in which either cold or body-temperature water was circulated through an adhesive wrap applied to the front of their necks, overlying the carotid arteries, for 120 minutes. After their first intervention, subjects crossed over (i.e., cold went to body-temperature, and vice-versa) on a separate day. Brain temperature was measured in one-minute intervals using MR thermometry.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy

Interventions

Cold circulated waterDEVICE

Cold water was circulated through an adhesive wrap applied to the front of the neck, overlying the carotid arteries, for 120 minutes. MR thermometry was used to measure core brain temperature in 1-minute intervals throughout the intervention. On a different day, subjects crossed over and repeated the intervention in the other study arm (i.e., cold went to body-temperature, and vice-versa).

Body-temperature circulated waterDEVICE

Body-temperature water was circulated through an adhesive wrap applied to the front of the neck, overlying the carotid arteries, for 120 minutes. MR thermometry was used to measure core brain temperature in 1-minute intervals throughout the intervention. On a different day, subjects crossed over and repeated the intervention in the other study arm (i.e., cold went to body-temperature, and vice-versa).

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy adults aged 18-65 years Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Contraindications to MRI (e.g. claustrophobia, metallic implants, etc.) * Signs of ulcerations, burns, hives or rash where the neck wrap is applied * History of Raynaud's disease, venous or arterial occlusive disease (e.g. carotid stenosis), cryoprecipitation disorders (e.g. cryoglobulinemia) and pernio (also known as chilblains)

Locations (1)

University of Vermont & State Agricultural College

Burlington, Vermont, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Brain Temperature

During each intervention, core brain temperature was measured non-invasively, in one-minute increments, using MR thermometry. The change in brain temperature was calculated as the difference of differences between the cold and body-temperature interventions, after 1 hour.

Time frame: 60 minutes

Secondary Outcomes

Modified Bedside Shivering Assessment

Time frame: 120 minutes

Systolic Blood Pressure

Change in systolic blood pressure during the intervention.

Time frame: 120 minutes

Diastolic Blood Pressure

Time frame: 120 minutes

Heart Rate

Time frame: 120 minutes

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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