Effects of growth hormone (GH) replacement and cognitive rehabilitation in patients with cognitive disorders after traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment combined with cognitive rehabilitation in patients with adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and cognitive disorders occurring after traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
Nineteen adult patients with TBI: GHD was found in 11 of them.


METHODS
Patients were treated with GH (GHD; sc; 1 mg/day) or vehicle (controls; sc; 1 mg/day); daily cognitive rehabilitation therapy was performed in both groups for 3 months.


METHODS
The GHRH-arginine test established GHD. The neuropsychological test WAIS was performed before commencing the treatment and 3 months after commencing it.


RESULTS
Controls achieved significant improvements in digits and in manipulative intelligence quotient (IQ) (p < 0.05 vs. baseline). GHD achieved significant improvements in more cognitive parameters: understanding, digits, numbers and incomplete figures (p < 0.05 vs. baseline) and similarities, vocabulary, verbal IQ, manipulative IQ and total IQ (p < 0.01). GHD reached significantly greater improvements than controls in similarities (p < 0.01) and in vocabulary, verbal IQ and total IQ (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
GH administration significantly improved cognitive rehabilitation in GHD patients. Since at the end of treatment period plasma IGF-I levels were similar in both groups it is likely that exogenous GH administration is responsible for the significant differences found.
Medical Center Proyecto Foltra, Cacheiras (Teo), A Coruña, Spain.
P
P
Reimunde
A
A
Quintana
B
B
Castañón
N
N
Casteleiro
Z
Z
Vilarnovo
A
A
Otero
A
A
Devesa
X L
XL
Otero-Cepeda
J
J
Devesa
D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D001120:Arginine