The use of
induced hypothermia in the treatment of traumatic
spinal cord injury (SCI) has been studied extensively between the 1960s and 1970s. Although the treatment showed some promise, it became less popular by the 1980s, mainly because of its adverse effects. However, a revival of
hypothermia in the treatment of
traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the last decade has encouraged neuroscientists to conduct experiments to reevaluate the potential benefits of
hypothermia in traumatic SCI. All laboratory investigations studying the mechanisms of action and/or the efficacy of
induced hypothermia in treating experimental traumatic SCI published in the last decade were reviewed. Although efficacy of
hypothermia in improving functional outcome of mild to moderate traumatic SCI has been demonstrated,
hypothermia may not be protective against severe traumatic SCI. At present,
induced hypothermia has yet to be recognized or approved as a potential treatment having therapeutic value for traumatic SCI in humans. The continued search for a possible synergistic effect of
induced hypothermia and pharmacological
therapy may yield some promise. It has also been deduced from these laboratory studies that
hyperthermia is deleterious and rigorous measures to prevent
hyperthermia should be taken to minimize the propagation of secondary neuronal damage after traumatic SCI.