Temperature distribution and blood perfusion response in rat brain during selective brain cooling

A rat model was used in this study to examine the transient temperature distribution and blood flow response in the brain during selective brain cooling (SBC) and rewarming. SBC was induced by a head cooling helmet with circulating water of 18 degrees C or 0 degrees C. It has been shown that the brain temperature reductions were 1.7+/-0.2 degrees C (5 mm beneath the brain surface) and 3.2+/-1.1 degrees C (2 mm beneath the brain surface) when the temperature of the water was 18 degrees C (moderate cooling). The cooling of the brain tissue was more evident when the circulating water was colder (0 degrees C, deep cooling). The characteristic time that it took for the tissue temperatures to reach a new steady state after the initiation of cooling varied from 5 to more than 35 min and it depended strongly on the blood flow response to the cooling. We used an ultrasound flow meter to measure continuously the blood flow rate in the common carotid artery during the cooling and rewarming. The blood flow rate dropped by up to 22% and 44% during the cooling from its baseline in the moderate cooling group and in the deep cooling group, respectively. Although all brain temperatures recovered to their baseline values 50 min after the helmet was removed, the blood flow rate only recovered to 92% and 77% of its baseline values after the moderate and deep cooling, respectively, implying a possible mismatch between the blood perfusion and metabolism in the brain. The current experimental results can be used to study the feasibility of inducing brain hypothermia by SBC if the blood flow responses in the rat are applicable to humans. The simultaneous recordings of temperature and blood flow rate in the rat brain can be used in the future to validate the theoretical model developed previously.