title: Extraordinary arousal from semi-comatose state on zolpidem. A case report.
abstract: A young semi-comatose male patient was investigated using 99mTc hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (99mTc HMPAO) brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) before and after administration of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist zolpidem. It was observed that 15 minutes after application of the drug the patient awoke from his semi-comatose condition and remained awake for the next 3-4 hours. When drug action subsided he returned to his semi-comatose state. Brain SPECT before drug application showed large hypo-active areas in certain parts of the brain. Brain SPECT after drug application showed a generalised cortical activation relative to the cerebellum and a marked and amplified activation of the areas that were hypo-active before drug application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Southern Africa, Medunsa.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Clauss
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Güldenpfennig
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Nel
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sathekge
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Venkannagari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020207:Coma, Post-Head Injury / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011725:Pyridines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000187:drug effects; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D000077334:Zolpidem
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D011725:Pyridines; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D000077334:Zolpidem