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Coma and Disorders of Consciousness pp 181–206Cite as

Pharmacological Treatments

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Abstract

We review the current state of knowledge of potentially useful drugs acting on the recovery of consciousness in severely brain-damaged patients. Exploratory and retrospective studies as well as case reports on the sporadic cases of recovery are discussed regarding pharmacological treatments such as amantadine, levodopa, bromocriptine, apomorphine, methylphenidate, zolpidem, baclofen, and lamotrigine. Potential underlying mechanisms explaining the effects of these drugs on the awakening and recovery of consciousness in this challenging population are also examined. Finally, we discuss the process of using single-subject methods to assess the off-label use of a specific medication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coma Science Group, GIGA Research Center and Neurology Department, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    Olivia Gosseries Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Olivia Gosseries Ph.D.

  3. Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute and MossRehab, Elkins Park, PA, USA

    John Whyte M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Olivia Gosseries Ph.D.
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  2. John Whyte M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Olivia Gosseries Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Research, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, California, USA

    Caroline Schnakers

  2. GIGA Consciousness, Coma Science Group & Neurology Department, Liège, Belgium

    Steven Laureys

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Gosseries, O., Whyte, J. (2018). Pharmacological Treatments. In: Schnakers, C., Laureys, S. (eds) Coma and Disorders of Consciousness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55964-3_11

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