Psychostimulant use in the rehabilitation of individuals with traumatic brain injury.
BACKGROUND
Psychostimulants are used commonly in the rehabilitation of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), despite the dearth of well-controlled studies of their effects. The available literature suggests that these drugs predominantly affect the speed of cognitive processing and certain observational ratings of mood and behavior. Effects on sustained attention, distractibility, and memory are less clear.


OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the controlled research literature on the use of these drugs in TBI and presents preliminary data from the authors' laboratory that extends these findings. Some of the common research pitfalls that have limited progress in research on these drugs are discussed.
Whyte
John
J
Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Korman Building, Suite 211, 1200 West Tabor Road, Philadelphia, PA 19141, USA. jwhyte@einstein.edu
Vaccaro
Monica
M
Grieb-Neff
Patricia
P
Hart
Tessa
T
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate; D000661:Amphetamine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine