Basic and Clinical Studies of Pharmacologic Effects on Recovery from Brain Injury

摘要

Investigations in laboratory animals indicatethat certain drugs that influence specific neurotransmitterscan have profound effects on therecovery process. Even small doses of somedrugs given after brain injury facilitate recoverywhile others are harmful. Preliminary clinicalstudies suggest that the same drugs that enhancerecovery in laboratory animals (e.g.,amphetamine) may have similar effects inhumans after stroke. In addition, some of thedrugs that impair recovery of function afterfocal brain injury in laboratory animals (e.g.haloperidol, benzodiazepines, clonidine,prazosin, phenytoin) are commonly given tostroke patients for coincident medical problemsand may interfere with functional recovery inhumans. Until the impact of pharmacologicagents on the recovering brain is betterunderstood, the available data suggest that careshould be exercised in the selection of drugs usedin the treatment of the recovering stroke patient.Pharmacologic enhancement of recovery afterfocal brain injury may be possible in humans.