My understanding of brain vasculature suggests that you should cool the carotid arteries in the neck, not the scalp. The scalp is fed by the external branch of the carotid, while the brain is fed by the internal branch. So cooling the scalp won’t cool the blood going to the brain.
There has been research on using localized microwave heating to cook brain tumors. Forty five years ago, it was located in the basement of building 26 at MIT. My father looked into it and said that it was hard to get good localized heating because heat was carried away so fast by the blood.
Epistemic status: all from memory, don’t have time for research, got to go now. 30% chance I’ve gotten something importantly wrong.
You are right that the scalp is less than ideal. The forehead, neck, insides of the nose, and I think the upper parts of the cheek are all better for cooling the brain. I believe the best method found is one where cold dry air is pumped in one nostril and out the other to greatly increase evaporative cooling from the inside of the nose, which cools the blood moving into the brain
A water cooled forehead combined with a water cooled neck pad might work well
My understanding of brain vasculature suggests that you should cool the carotid arteries in the neck, not the scalp. The scalp is fed by the external branch of the carotid, while the brain is fed by the internal branch. So cooling the scalp won’t cool the blood going to the brain.
There has been research on using localized microwave heating to cook brain tumors. Forty five years ago, it was located in the basement of building 26 at MIT. My father looked into it and said that it was hard to get good localized heating because heat was carried away so fast by the blood.
Epistemic status: all from memory, don’t have time for research, got to go now. 30% chance I’ve gotten something importantly wrong.
You are right that the scalp is less than ideal. The forehead, neck, insides of the nose, and I think the upper parts of the cheek are all better for cooling the brain. I believe the best method found is one where cold dry air is pumped in one nostril and out the other to greatly increase evaporative cooling from the inside of the nose, which cools the blood moving into the brain
A water cooled forehead combined with a water cooled neck pad might work well