Journal of theoretical biology
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Brain hypothermia treatment is used as a neuroprotectant to decompress the elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in acute neuropatients. However, a quantitative relationship between decompression and brain hypothermia is still unclear, this makes medical treatment difficult and ineffective. The objective of this paper is to develop a general mathematical model integrating hemodynamics and biothermal dynamics to enable a quantitative prediction of transient responses of elevated ICP to ambient cooling temperature. ⋯ Gain of about 4.9 mmHg degrees C(-1), dead time of about 1.0 h and a time constant of about 9.8h are estimated for the hypothermic decompression. Based on the estimated characteristics, a feedback control of elevated ICP is introduced in a simulated intracranial hypertension of vasogenic brain edema. Simulation results suggest the possibility of an automatic control of the elevated ICP in brain hypothermia treatment.