We review the current state of knowledge of potentially useful drugs acting on the recovery of consciousness in severely brain-damaged patients. Exploratory and retrospective studies as well as case reports on the sporadic cases of recovery are discussed regarding pharmacological treatments such as amantadine, levodopa, bromocriptine, apomorphine, methylphenidate, zolpidem, baclofen, and lamotrigine. Potential underlying mechanisms explaining the effects of these drugs on the awakening and recovery of consciousness in this challenging population are also examined. Finally, we discuss the process of using single-subject methods to assess the off-label use of a specific medication.
CITATION STYLE
Gosseries, O., & Whyte, J. (2017). Pharmacological treatments. In Coma and Disorders of Consciousness: Second Edition (pp. 181–206). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55964-3_11
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.