Brain Temperature Tunnel Discovered

By Stacie Overton, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Yale physician and scientist M. Marc Abreu, M.D., says he has uncovered an area of the brain called the brain temperature tunnel. In what he calls a remarkable discovery, he says this precise area of the brain controls the key function and critical factor for life preservation and human performance -- brain temperature.

Through his research, Dr. Abreu discovered that a small area of skin near the eye and nose is the entry point of the brain temperature tunnel. He says this area of facial skin contains the highest amount of light energy on the surface of the human body. He performed temperature and thermal energy measurements that allowed him to determine the precise positioning of sensing systems at the main entry point of the tunnel.

His research, he says, shows that the measurement of brain temperature in humans and animals at the brain temperature tunnel area can be accomplished in a non-invasive, automated, and continuous manner. In an interview with Ivanhoe, Dr. Abreu says, “Brain temperature is a key parameter for life and death. Today, it is impossible to measure temperature continuously in the body.” He has now found a way to do just that. He devised sensing patches and eyeglasses that measure the temperature at the tunnel and transmit the signal both by wireless methods and wires, as well as ultrasound or infrared waves. The devices for measuring brain temperature, he says, are non-invasive, continuous, precise, convenient, low-cost and versatile. He says they can be used under all conditions such as working, driving, exercising, playing, eating or sleeping.

Dr. Abreu says the ability to continuously monitor the body’s temperature has important public health implications. Not only can it enhance safety and performance of athletes, military personnel, firefighters, and outdoor recreationists, but Dr. Abreu says it can also provide continuous brain temperature monitoring in hospitals without the need of nurse intervention. Important purposes for the devices include detection and prevention of heatstroke and heat illness.

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SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with M. Marc Abreu, M.D., Yale University, May 27, 2003