[SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN ISCHEMIC PENUMBRA OF THE BRAIN (REVIEW)]

The zone of penumbra in ischemic brain tissue lies below the local cerebral blood flow threshold for electrocortical silence but above that for anoxic depolarization and massive ionic dyshomeostasis. Conflicting data concerning the width of therapeutic window in which successful reperfusion of blood still is possible, are cited in this paper. The role of temperature in development of ischemic stroke is also considered. There are data that even small degrees of brain temperature alterations crucially affect the outcome of ischemic insults. The lowering of intraischemic brain temperature by just 2 to 30C is capable of diminishing the volume of infarction up to 70 to 80%. Hypothermia modifies a variety of intracellular processes and markedly delaying the process of cell death, hypothermia appears to widen the therapeutic window.