A stroke is one of the world’s leading causes of death and long-term disability. Every year, millions of people experience a stroke, and many survivors are left with problems that can last for the rest of their lives.
Some people have trouble speaking clearly, while others lose movement in an arm or leg. Many also struggle with memory, thinking, and daily activities. Recovery can take months or even years, and some people never fully regain their independence.
The most common type of stroke is called an acute ischemic stroke. It happens when a blood clot blocks an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Brain cells need a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to survive.
When blood flow stops, these cells begin to die within minutes. Even if doctors quickly remove the clot and restore circulation, damage often continues because the brain is extremely sensitive to injury.
Scientists have been searching for better ways to protect the brain during this critical period. One idea comes from an unexpected source—hypothermia.
When a person’s body temperature falls below 35 degrees Celsius for a long period, a dangerous condition called hypothermia develops. The heart, nervous system, and other organs begin to function poorly, and severe cases can lead to unconsciousness or death.
Although accidental hypothermia is dangerous, scientists have long known that lowering body temperature in a controlled way can sometimes protect organs. Cooling slows the body’s metabolism, which means cells use less energy and oxygen. This may give injured tissues a better chance of surviving.
Researchers recently explored whether two medicines, chlorpromazine and promethazine, could safely produce a mild, controlled cooling effect that protects the brain after a stroke. The research was published in Science Translational Medicine.
The study took place in three stages. First, the scientists tested the drug combination in mice. They temporarily blocked an artery in the animals’ brains to mimic a stroke and then gave the drugs. The mice were kept in cold, normal, and warm environments to see whether temperature affected the results.
The drugs successfully lowered body temperature and slowed the animals’ metabolism. Unlike traditional cooling methods, such as ice packs, the mice did not shiver or try to warm themselves. This was important because shivering uses energy and can reduce the benefits of cooling. The treated mice developed smaller brain injuries and recovered better neurological function.
The researchers then moved to rhesus monkeys, whose bodies and brains are more similar to those of humans. The monkeys received the drugs through an intravenous infusion after stroke-like conditions were created.
Their body temperatures dropped to around 33 to 34 degrees Celsius. The treatment also changed the way their bodies produced energy, causing them to use more fats and ketones instead of mainly glucose. Monkeys that received the drugs had significantly smaller areas of brain damage.
Finally, the scientists conducted a small Phase I clinical trial involving 32 people who had experienced a stroke. Participants received either the drug treatment or a placebo.
Four different doses were tested, ranging from 10 milligrams to 100 milligrams. Doctors carefully monitored blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and other vital signs. Patients were followed for 90 days.
The results were encouraging. The treatment appeared safe and was generally well tolerated. The highest dose, 100 milligrams, produced a mild decrease in body temperature and slowed metabolism. All patients who received the highest dose had good recovery outcomes after three months.
These findings are exciting because they suggest it may be possible to place the brain into a temporary low-energy state after a stroke. By reducing the brain’s demand for oxygen, doctors may one day be able to limit damage and improve recovery.
However, the findings should be interpreted carefully. The human study was very small, and larger clinical trials are still needed. It is not yet clear whether the treatment will work in a wider group of stroke patients or whether it will improve outcomes better than current treatments alone.
Nevertheless, the research provides a creative new approach to stroke care and may eventually lead to therapies that give the brain more time to heal after one of medicine’s most devastating emergencies.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about how to eat to prevent stroke, and diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
Source: Capital Medical University.
