Changes in body temperature rhythm after traumatic brain injury

We performed this study to determine whether in head injured patients body temperature rhythmicity exists outside the usual spectrum. Temperature data of in total 22 patients with head injury were analyzed using the Regressiv e and Iterative Cosinor methods. We found that circadian rhythm often remai ned, and usually was combined with rhythms in ultradian or infradian ranges . Tau shifts over consecutive days were observed in three severely head inj ured patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score less than or equal to 8). To valida te the results we used surrogate data. Detection of temperature rhythms in this study may serve to estimate the clinical importance of biological rhyt hms in head injury.