Theoretical simulation of temperature distribution in the brain during mild hypothermia treatment for brain injury

Mild or moderate hypothermia (>30 degrees C) has been proposed for clinical use as a therapeutic option for achieving protection from cerebral ischaemia in brain injury patients. In this research, a theoretical model was developed to examine the brain temperature gradients during selective cooling of the brain surface after head injury. The head was modelled as a hemisphere consisting of several layers, representing the scalp, skull and brain tissue, respectively. The dimensions, physical properties and physiological characteristics for each layer, as well as the arterial blood temperature, were used as the input to the Pennes bioheat transfer equation to simulate the steady-state temperature distribution within the brain. Depending on the head surface temperature, a temperature gradient of up to 13 degrees C exists in the brain tissue. The results have shown that the volumetric-averaged brain tissue temperature Tbt,avg for adults and infants can be 1.7 and 4.3 degrees C, respectively, lower than the temperature of the arterial blood supplied to the brain tissue. The location where the probe should be placed to measure Tbt,avg was also determined by the simulation. The calculation suggests that the temperature sensor should be placed 7.5mm and 5.9 mm beneath the brain tissue surface for adults and infants, respectively, to monitor Tbt,avg continuously.