Vascular and neuronal ischemic damage in cryonics patients.

Cryonics technology seeks to cryopreserve the anatomical basis of the mind so that future medicine can restore legally dead cryonics patients to life, youth, and health. Most cryonics patients experience varying degrees of ischemia and reperfusion injury. Neurons can survive ischemia and reperfusion injury more than is generally believed, but blood vessels are more vulnerable, and such injury can impair perfusion of vitrifying cryoprotectant solution intended to eliminate ice formation in the brain. Forms of vascular and neuronal damage are reviewed, along with means of mitigating that damage. Recommendations are also made for preventing such damage.