Cold therapy for mild cognitive impairment
Evidence review
Overview
Whole-body cryotherapy (brief exposure to extreme cold air in a chamber) has been studied in mild cognitive impairment by one Polish research group. In a double-blind, sham-controlled RCT of 62 adults with MCI, 10 sessions were followed by better immediate recall and orientation scores and improved mood compared with sham, but not on all measures and only over about 2 weeks. An uncontrolled pilot reported memory improvement, and adding WBC to computerized cognitive training reduced depressive symptoms without a clear added cognitive effect. No study has tested cold-water immersion in MCI or dementia.
Key findings
- Sham-controlled RCT, 62 adults with MCI: after 10 WBC sessions, immediate recall (DemTect) and orientation (TYM) favored WBC; mood VAS p=0.02 (Rymaszewska 2021)
- Uncontrolled pilot: cognitive function, especially memory, improved after 10 sessions (p<0.05) (Rymaszewska 2018)
- Cognitive training plus WBC vs training alone vs usual care, 84 older adults: both training groups improved cognition; only the WBC group had fewer depressive symptoms (Senczyszyn 2021)
Every study we reviewed
2 found benefit · 1 mixed results
Each study was checked on PubMed. The colored edge shows the direction of the result. The research library lists 10 studies on dementia and cognitive impairment, across all heat and cold therapies, including case reports and older work not graded here.
The improvement of cognitive deficits after whole-body cryotherapy - A randomised controlled trial.
Rymaszewska J et al. Exp Gerontol. 2021. PubMed 33454354 · DOI · Free full text
- Who
- adults with mild cognitive impairment (MoCA 20-26)
- What
- whole-body cryotherapy chamber (WBC; cold air, not water immersion), 10 sessions (n=33) vs placebo-controlled sham (n=29), double-blind
- Protocol
- -166 to -256 °F · about 2
- Measured
- DemTect, SLUMS, Test Your Memory; quality of life, mood, depressive symptoms; cytokines and neurotrophins
- Result
- After the 10th session, between-group differences favored WBC in immediate recall (DemTect) and orientation (TYM); self-reported mood improved (VAS mood p=0.02; p=0.07 after a 2-week break); BDNF fell (p<0.05).
- Limitations
- benefit confined to some subtests; short treatment and 2-week follow-up; single research group
The Improvement of Memory Deficits after Whole-Body Cryotherapy - The First Report.
Rymaszewska J et al. Cryo Letters. 2018. PubMed 30059565
- Who
- patients with mild cognitive impairment
- What
- whole-body cryotherapy chamber (WBC; cold air, not water immersion), 10 sessions
- Measured
- cognitive function (especially memory), depressive symptoms, nitric oxide, BDNF, IL-6
- Result
- Cognitive functioning, especially memory, improved after 10 sessions (p<0.05); nitric oxide and BDNF increased and IL-6 decreased (p<0.05).
- Limitations
- uncontrolled; sample size not given in abstract
The Effectiveness of Computerized Cognitive Training Combined With Whole Body Cryotherapy in Improving Cognitive Functions in Older Adults. A Case Control Study.
Senczyszyn A et al. Front Psychiatry. 2021. PubMed 34248698 · DOI · Free full text
- Who
- adults aged 60 or older with subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment
- What
- 9 weeks: computerized cognitive training with psychoeducation, the same plus 10 whole-body cryotherapy chamber (WBC; cold air, not water immersion) sessions, or usual care
- Protocol
- 9 wk
- Measured
- MoCA and neuropsychological tests; Geriatric Depression Scale
- Result
- General cognitive performance improved in both training groups (p<=0.05); only the training plus WBC group had significantly fewer depressive symptoms.
- Limitations
- non-randomized; WBC effect not separable from cognitive training; includes subjective decline without MCI
Protocols used in the studies
Whole-body cryotherapy chamber at -166 to -256 F (-110 to -160 C), 10 sessions over about 2 weeks; one study combined WBC with 9 weeks of computerized cognitive training. Sham used non-cryogenic temperatures. No cold-water immersion protocol has been studied.
What is still unknown
Replication by independent groups; effect on global cognition, function and progression to dementia; durability beyond 2 weeks; whether any benefit is mediated by mood; no data for cold-water immersion.
Safety
Cautions for cold therapy in this condition
- Studies were supervised chamber sessions in medically screened older adults; adverse events were not described in the abstracts.
- People with cognitive impairment may not recognize or report cold injury; any cold exposure requires supervision. See general cold safety entry for cardiovascular cautions in older adults.
For clinicians
Suggested rationale
In a double-blind, sham-controlled RCT in adults with mild cognitive impairment (Rymaszewska 2021), 10 whole-body cryotherapy sessions were followed by better scores on some memory and orientation subtests and improved mood versus sham; this is short-term, single-group evidence for a chamber procedure and does not extend to cold-water immersion.
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Typical ICD-10 codes: G31.84, F06.7. Examples only; the clinician assigns the code.
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