Estimation on the effect of local brain cooling after head injury by wireless near infrared spectroscopy

Local brain cooling is a way to treat traumatic brain injury and prevent secondary brain injury. The aim of this study is to explore the change of hemoglobin during local brain cooling after traumatic brain injury, and assess the treatment effect by using the wireless near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system. Assign all male Sprague Dawley rats to three groups randomly: sham, fluid percussion injury (FPI), FPI + cooling. After executing fluid percussion injury, a cold water bag (5-6 °C) was used locally for 30 min. The wireless NIRS system which we developed was used to monitor the concentration change of HbO2, HbR and HbT. And other physiological parameters, ICP and CPP, were also monitored during the experiment. According to previous results, local brain cooling could reduce infarction volume while traumatic brain injury occurs. Similarly, our results show that local brain cooling caused oxy-hemoglobin, the tissue oxygen saturation and CPP increase and ICP decreased. From the results, the hemoglobin parameters, ICP and MAP were affected by temperature. And local cooling after FPI might have clinical benefits in the future. In addition, the wireless NIRS system might be an instrument to assess the effect of hypothermia.