Targeted Temperature Management and Acute Brain Injury: An Update from Recent Clinical Trials

Purpose of Review: The neuroprotective effects of therapeutic hypothermia—increasingly known as targeted temperature management (TTM)—have been recognized for decades, but translation into positive randomized clinical trial outcomes has proved difficult. Recent Findings: Although there is level I evidence supporting TTM in adult cardiac arrest and neonatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy, uncertainty remains about optimal temperature targets, exemplified by recent adult cardiac arrest data suggesting that cooling to 36 °C is equally as effective as cooling to 33 °C. For other forms of acute brain injury, the evidence supporting TTM is less clear and, in particular, recent traumatic brain injury trial data were disappointing. Summary: Further studies are required to address the logistics of implementing TTM in brain injury, including optimal temperature, timing of onset and duration, and complication management. In addition, further high-quality studies are needed to fully assess the role of TTM in stroke and other forms of acute brain injury. © 2016, Springer Science + Business Media New York.