Branched-chain amino acids may improve recovery from a vegetative or minimally conscious state in patients with traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) may improve recovery of patients with a posttraumatic vegetative or minimally conscious state.


METHODS
Patients were randomly assigned to 15 days of intravenous BCAA supplementation (n=22; 19.6g/d) or an isonitrogenous placebo (n=19).


METHODS
Tertiary care rehabilitation setting.


METHODS
Patients (N=41; 29 men, 12 women; mean age, 49.5+/-21 y) with a posttraumatic vegetative or minimally conscious state, 47+/-24 days after the index traumatic event.


METHODS
Supplementation with BCAAs.


METHODS
Disability Rating Scale (DRS) as log(10)DRS.


RESULTS
Fifteen days after admission to the rehabilitation department, the log(10)DRS score improved significantly only in patients who had received BCAAs (log(10)DRS score, 1.365+/-0.08 to 1.294+/-0.05; P<.001), while the log(10)DRS score in the placebo recipients remained virtually unchanged (log(10)DRS score, 1.373+/-0.03 to 1.37+/-0.03; P not significant). The difference in improvement of log(10)DRS score between the 2 groups was highly significant (P<.000). Moreover, 68.2% (n=15) of treated patients achieved a log(10)DRS point score of .477 or higher (3 as geometric mean) that allowed them to exit the vegetative or minimally conscious state.


CONCLUSIONS
Supplemented BCAAs may improve the recovery from a vegetative or minimally conscious state in patients with posttraumatic vegetative or minimally conscious state.
Aquilani
Roberto
R
Servizio di Fisiopatologia Metabolico-Nutrizionale e Nutrizione Clinica, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Istituto Scientifico di Montescano, Montescano, Pavia, Italy.
Boselli
Mirella
M
Boschi
Federica
F
Viglio
Simona
S
Iadarola
Paolo
P
Dossena
Maurizia
M
Pastoris
Ornella
O
Verri
Manuela
M