Elucidation and control of cerebral neurophysiological function with focal brain-cooling for the purpose of clinical application.

我们研究的目的是建立局部脑冷却作为治疗癫痫、顽固性疼痛或严重神经创伤的新方法。在癫痫领域，我们证明了在大脑皮质表面温度为15-20℃的情况下，局部降温可以终止癫痫样放电，而不会导致不可逆转的神经生理功能障碍或脑组织神经元损伤。我们还证实，由于感觉运动皮质的降温，对大鼠神经功能的影响最小，显著抑制了伤害性疼痛。我们的研究表明，大脑的局部降温具有神经保护作用，对患有严重脑部疾病的患者具有治疗潜力。由于精密机械工业的最新进展，植入式局部冷却系统的应用有望在不久的将来成为现实。最后，我们提倡“热神经调节”作为一种新的治疗范式。

The aim of our study is to establish a focal brain cooling as a new treatment of epilepsy, intractable pain or severe neurotrauma. In the field of epilepsy, we demonstrated that focal cooling of the brain to a cortical surface temperature of 15 to 20℃ terminated epileptiform discharges without inducing irreversible neurophysiological dysfunctions or neuronal damage in brain tissue. We also confirmed the significant suppression of nociceptive pain due to the cooling of sensorimotor cortex, with a minimal influence on neurological functions in rats. Our studies suggest the focal cooling of the brain has a neuroprotective effect and has a therapeutic potential for patients who are suffering from severe brain disorders. Because of recent advances in the precision machinery industry, the application of an implantable local cooling system may be expected to become a reality in the near future. Finally, we advocate "thermal neuromodulation" as a new treatment paradigm.