Hypothermia therapy enhances cognitive and motor recovery in patients with traumatic brain injury: a 6-month retrospective cohort study

To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia in enhancing cognitive and motor outcomes six months post-TBI. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) database. A total of 259 TBI patients were divided into a Routine group (n = 135) and a Hypothermia Therapy group (n = 124). The hypothermia group received core temperature reduction to 33-35°C for 3-5 days. Cognitive and motor functions were assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (FMA), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at baseline and six months post-treatment. Patients' satisfaction was also evaluated. After six months of treatment, the hypothermia group showed significantly higher FIM motor scores, and FIM cognitive scores than the routine group (P < 0.01). A higher proportion of patients in the hypothermia group achieved mild impairment on the FMA assessment than in the routine group (P = 0.003). The hypothermia group demonstrated better consciousness levels (P = 0.006) and reported significantly higher patient satisfaction rate (P = 0.004). Hypothermia therapy significantly improved cognitive and motor recovery in TBI patients, enhanced consciousness levels, and increased patient satisfaction rate.