ENHANCEMENT OF COGNITIVE PROCESSING BY MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS USING LIQUID COOLING TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY

Richard W. Montgomery and Leslie D. Montgomery*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This can have a significant impact on the quality of life of both the patient and that of their primary care giver. This case study explores the possibility that liquid cooling therapy may be used to enhance the cognitive processing of MS patients in the same way that it provides temporary relief of some physical impairment. Methods: Two MS patients were presented a series of pattern discrimination tasks before and after being cooled with a liquid cooling garment for a one hour period. Results: The subject whose ear temperature was reduced during cooling showed greater electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and scored much better on the task after cooling. The patient whose ear temperature was unaffected by cooling showed less EEG activity and degraded performance after the one hour cooling period. Discussion and Conclusions: This case study indicates that “cooling therapy” may be used to temporarily improve the cognitive processing of MS patients. It also shows that the energy density analysis of topographic EEG can be used to assess the performance of cognitively impaired MS patients.

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Cooling Therapy, Cognitive Processing, Electroencephalography.