Still cooling after all these years: Meta-analysis of pre-clinical trials of therapeutic hypothermia for acute ischemic stroke. Issue 7 (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dumitrascu, Oana M; Lamb, Jessica; Lyden, Patrick D
• Is Part Of: Journal of cerebral blood flow & metabolism. Volume 36:Issue 7(2016)
• Page Start: 1157
• Page End: 1164
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: Acute stroke -- animal models -- hypothermia -- neuroprotection -- reperfusion; Cerebral circulation -- Periodicals; Brain -- Metabolism -- Periodicals; Brain -- Blood-vessels -- Periodicals; Cerebrovascular disease -- Periodicals; 612.824
• DOI: 10.1177/0271678X16645112
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-678X

Abstract

Therapeutic hypothermia is the most potent neuroprotectant for experimental cerebral ischemia, illustrated in a 2007 meta-analysis published in this journal. To address recent therapeutic nihilism, we systematically reviewed recent experimental literature. Quality scoring showed considerable improvement in study design. Using several outcome measures in a variety of models and species, therapeutic hypothermia was protective compared with normothermia, with powerful and statistically significant normalized treatment effect sizes, in 60 papers comprising 216 comparisons. In the past 5 years, preclinical studies of ischemic stroke re-emphasize that therapeutic hypothermia is potently effective, justifying further development in larger human clinical trials.