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Cool research: Protecting brains by slowing stroke Every minute after a stroke, brain cells die. For people living far from specialist care, the time needed to reach treatment can mean the difference between recovery and lifelong disability. Thanks to funding from the Neurological Foundation, Dr Will Diprose and his team – including the Neurological Foundation Chair in Clinical Neurology Professor Alan Barber and Senior Clinical Research Fellow Dr Doug Campbell – have been investigating a simple idea that could help protect the brain during those critical hours. The COOLHEAD feasibility study set out to test whether head cooling could be safely and practically used in patients requiring clot retrieval. Previous international trials using whole-body cooling methods, such as injecting cooled saline into the veins, proved too difficult to deliver quickly enough to make a difference. Will – an interventional neurologist – believed there could be a better way. “Amore practical method is using a cooling cap, because it can be started in an ambulance, and continued as long as necessary throughout a stroke patient’s journey,” he says. The COOLHEAD cap lowers the brain’s temperature and slows the damage caused by a stroke. The portable cap can be applied quickly, even during ambulance or helicopter transfers (pictured right), helping to protect brain tissue until specialist treatment can be delivered. The research team recruited 40 patients across Auckland City Hospital and Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada. Results exceeded expectations. “Much to everyone’s surprise, we were able to recruit all 40 patients in four months across two hospitals,” saysWill. Professor Alan Barber models the cooling cap. continued next page  DrWill Diprose 16 17