A multi-national study published Feb. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed a significant breakthrough in the treatment of patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states. The study showed that the influenza medication amantadine hydrochloride accelerated the pace of functional recovery during active treatment in patients with post-traumatic disorders of consciousness.
The study, funded by a 5-year, $3 million grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, involved 184 patients at 11 clinical trial sites in three countries. The patients involved were receiving inpatient rehabilitation and were in a vegetative or minimally conscious state between four and 16 weeks after traumatic brain injury. During the four-week treatment period, recovery was significantly faster among patients who were administered amantadine than those in the placebo group.
Study leader, Joseph T. Giacino, HMS associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation anddirector of rehabilitation neuropsychology at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, said, “The results of this study provide convincing evidence that it is possible to increase the speed of recovery from severe traumatic brain injury when treatment is initiated within four months of onset. These findings engender optimism for a medical condition that is often viewed as untreatable.”
For the full release, visit the website of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
