title: The agitated brain injured patient. Part 2: Pathophysiology and treatment.
abstract: The management of agitation after brain injury remains uncertain because of a lack of a consistent definition and a poor understanding of the underlying mechanism. Part 1 of this review focused on definitions, differential diagnosis, and assessment. Part 2 reviews potential mechanisms for posttraumatic agitation and common intervention strategies. The intent of this two-part series is to advocate for a consistent definition for posttraumatic agitation, to encourage the use of appropriate assessment and monitoring strategies, and to recommend that intervention decisions are based on at least a theoretical understanding of the relationship between specific target behaviors and probable brain-behavior relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mysiw
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sandel
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents