Scientists have identified the cause of "brain freeze" the excessive use of ice cream

In a presentation at the forum of Experimental Biology 2012, held this Sunday in San - Francisco, a group of scientists from six research communities, today announced that "Brain Freeze" apparently caused by a sudden change in blood flow in the anterior cerebral artery, which is very close to the human palate. Pain occurs when blood flow increases, and subsides as soon as the artery come in his usual, "workers' state.

To study this phenomenon, the researchers recruited 13 healthy adults. They were told to drink cold water through a straw aimed at the sky. The participants raised their hands when they felt the effect of freezing the brain and lowered when the pain disappeared. Meanwhile, researchers tracking blood flow in the brain, found that the pain associated with swelling of blood in the anterior cerebral artery.

Since the skull is a closed structure, fast blood flow can increase blood pressure and cause pain, the authors explain the study. Prompt vasodilation that follows, may be a brain protective mechanism for reducing the pressure before it reaches a dangerous performance.

"The brain - one of the most important organs in the human body, and it should work all the time. He is quite sensitive to temperature, thus widening the artery could move the warm blood in the tissue to make sure that the brain stays warm, "said lead researcher Jorge Serrador of Harvard Medical School said in a statement.

According to the researchers, "brain freeze" - the perfect occasion to explore some of the processes in the brain, because it's very easy to call and it lasts a short time and without special effects. Scientists can easily explore this effect from the beginning to the end. The team believes that such changes in blood flow may occur during the action and post-traumatic migraine headaches.

May not have time to communicate clearly with other brain freeze headaches, but continuing their research, the authors hope to prove his theory and develop new ways to treat severe pain, including the development of medicines that block sudden vasodilation during headaches.