'Cool' new research aims to improve stroke patients' recovery

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Science

Author: Clare de Lore ,
Publish Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2026, 10:48am

A world-leading clinical trial is underway in New Zealand to determine whether cooling caps, already used in neonatal care and cancer treatment, could improve recovery for some stroke patients.

Cooling caps have proven successful in reducing brain injury in premature newborns suffering from oxygen deprivation. They are also used to help cancer patients limit hair loss during chemotherapy.

The New Zealand trial is the first to combine the technology with the life-changing clot retrieval procedure.

Led by Professor Alan Barber at the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland, the trial tests a simple theory: lowering brain temperature during treatment preserves tissue and improves patient outcomes.

A pilot study involving 40 volunteers confirmed the procedure is safe and effectively lowers brain temperature by one degree Celsius, a small reduction but one with the potential to further limit brain damage in stroke patients.

“One degree doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is actually quite a lot. We only want to cool the brain, as cooling the whole body requires an intensive care unit,” Professor Barber told Newstalk ZB's Brainstorming Podcast.

Professor Barber says a randomised trial involving 180 participants is now underway at Auckland City Hospital, Waikato Hospital and Whangārei Hospital.

Half the patients will receive standard stroke treatment alongside the cooling cap intervention, while the other half will receive standard care alone.

The 90 patients receiving the cooling cap will be fitted with one as soon as they arrive at hospital, or as soon as they begin transfer to one of the three hospitals. It will remain in place during assessment and throughout clot retrieval surgery. The cap will be removed during post-surgical recovery, usually within an hour.

Professor Barber's team will assess outcomes in the two groups to determine whether the cooling approach provides a measurable benefit.

“We want to limit the damage to the brain as much as possible, so if this works, the aim will be to use the cooling cap from the earliest possible time. The ultimate goal is to minimise brain damage by deploying cooling as early as the initial ambulance ride,” he told Clare de Lore.

Clot retrieval is used in about 20 percent of stroke patients and, in some instances, can result in a full recovery.

Brainstorming with Clare de Lore has new episodes every second Wednesday on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts – powered by Newstalk ZB.