Cooling therapy reduces symptom burden in adolescent concussions
By Zoe Heart. This article was initially published in the 4/11/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.
A study conducted by Matthew Smith et al. and published in The Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that, in adolescent athletes, cooling therapy was associated with a significant decrease in post-concussion symptoms. Additionally, Smith et al. found that hypothermic therapy was not associated with severe adverse events in patients, indicating that the Pro2cool device used in the study is a safe tool. The study involved repeated treatment and survey of 167 adolescent concussion patients; it demonstrates the promising potential for hypothermic therapy as an immediate, effective concussion symptom treatment. Pro2cool is a device that cools specific areas of the head and neck; the FDA designated it as a 'Breakthrough Device' for treating mTBI for investigational purposes and has not yet granted market authorization.
In an Akron Children's press release, Dr. Smith points out that his study was limited to symptom severity; its results do not provide information on Pro2cool's impact on other critical measurements, such as patients' time to return to regular activity. He also points out that more research on the specific biological effects of hypothermic treatment is necessary before Pro2cool could be recommended for clinical use, commenting that "the work has just begun." Concussion Alliance has covered a similar European device, the PolarCap System, which has been granted Medical Device class IIa for the European Union (and they are seeking FDA approval), see our November 2022 blog post,
The study enrolled adolescent athletes aged 12-19 who had seen a provider within eight days of sustaining a sport-related concussion at six different medical centers in Ohio and Michigan. Patients in the treatment group were given Pro2cool treatment at their initial clinic visit, 72 hours later, and ten days post-visit. Each patient completed a Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) survey before and after each treatment session. The results of the participants' surveys indicated that patients experienced a 14.4% symptom reduction after their initial treatment, a 25.5% reduction after their 72-hour treatment, and a 3.4% reduction after their 10-day treatment. There was no statistically significant relationship between Pro2cool treatment and the severity of adverse events (dizziness, increase in blood pressure, etc.). This initial study serves as a valuable first step for an acute concussion treatment option.
