title: Brain Recovery after a Plane Crash: Treatment with Growth Hormone (GH) and Neurorehabilitation: A Case Report.
abstract: The aim of this study is to describe the results obtained after growth hormone (GH) treatment and neurorehabilitation in a young man that suffered a very grave traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a plane crash.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen months after the accident, the patient was treated with GH, 1 mg/day, at three-month intervals, followed by one-month resting, together with daily neurorehabilitation. Blood analysis at admission showed that no pituitary deficits existed. At admission, the patient presented: spastic tetraplegia, dysarthria, dysphagia, very severe cognitive deficits and joint deformities. Computerized tomography scanners (CT-Scans) revealed the practical loss of the right brain hemisphere and important injuries in the left one. Clinical and blood analysis assessments were performed every three months for three years. Feet surgery was needed because of irreducible equinovarus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical and kinesitherapy assessments revealed a prompt improvement in cognitive functions, dysarthria and dysphagia disappeared and three years later the patient was able to live a practically normal life, walking alone and coming back to his studies. No adverse effects were observed during and after GH administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results, together with previous results from our group, indicate that GH treatment is safe and effective for helping neurorehabilitation in TBI patients, once the acute phase is resolved, regardless of whether or not they have GH-deficiency (GHD).
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. jesus.devesa@usc.es.|Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15710, Spain. jesus.devesa@usc.es.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Devesa
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. gussy_diaz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Díaz-Getino
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. preypa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. pepegarcia85@gmail.com.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Cancela
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. irilou_@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Iria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Loures
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. sonianogueiras80@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nogueiras
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. albitahmf@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurtado de Mendoza
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. lucia89_9@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. mofrango@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. tamara_pisc@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pablos
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction Medical Centre Foltra, Teo 15886, Spain. pdevesap@foltra.org.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devesa
mesh_terms: D000060:Accidents, Aviation; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D018953:Kinesiology, Applied; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone
keywords: GH; adult neurogenesis; brain plasticity; cognitive functions; neurorehabilitation; spastic tetraplegia; traumatic brain injury