Sinemet and brain injury: functional versus statistical change and suggestions for future research designs.
Brain Inj
; 9(5): 487-93, 1995 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-7550220
ABSTRACT
During the past decade the usage of dopaminergic agonists for the brain-injured population has become a more common treatment option during both the acute and subacute phases of recovery. We attempted to use Sinemet to address the functional limitations of a 74-year-old woman who was 7 months status post-traumatic brain injury secondary to a motor vehicle accident. The patient was administered a 3-month trial of Sinemet while continuing to receive structured sensory stimulation. Her baseline performance using Rappaport's Coma/Near-Coma (CNC) scale yielded a score in the moderate coma range. Weekly evaluations were conducted throughout the drug trial period using the CNC scale. Although the patient displayed modest improvement in her total score, functional change was negligible. Long-term follow-up suggested an absence of retention of earlier gains obtained on the CNC scale. The authors suggest that flawed research methodologies, heterogeneous patient populations, and potential difficulties obtaining reliable dependent measures makes the interpretation of brain injury research findings equivocal. However, given the many limitations, the current research design suggested that the long-term practical utility of Sinemet was unremarkable. Suggestions for future pharmacological research designs with the brain-injured population are discussed.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Dano Encefálico Crônico
/
Carbidopa
/
Levodopa
/
Traumatismos Cranianos Fechados
/
Agonistas de Dopamina
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Brain Inj
Assunto da revista:
CEREBRO
Ano de publicação:
1995
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos