A device for topical cooling of the nervous system via cooling of cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, using a solid thermally conductive material. The solid thermally conductive material is coupled to a heat exchange apparatus. The thermally conductive material may be coupled to any catheter that is used in existing clinical standard of care for acute neuronal injuries, such as catheters used to monitor and relieve intracranial pressure. The thermally conductive material is a biocompatible and solid material, for instance, metals such as steel, tungsten and titanium, and non-metallic materials such as thermal diamond paste.
