Fast awakening from minimally conscious state with apomorphine

• Published in: Brain injury 2009-01, Vol.23 (2), p.172-177
• Main Authors: Fridman, Esteban A., Calvar, Jorge, Bonetto, Mariana, Gamzu, Elkan, Krimchansky, Ben Zion, Meli, Francisco, Leiguarda, Ramon C., Zafonte, Ross
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; apomorphine; Apomorphine - therapeutic use; Brain Injuries - drug therapy; Brain Injuries - physiopathology; Brain injury; diffusion tensor; Dopamine Agonists - therapeutic use; dopaminergic; Humans; Male; minimally conscious; Persistent Vegetative State - drug therapy; Persistent Vegetative State - physiopathology; Recovery of Function - drug effects; Recovery of Function - physiology; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0269-9052; 1362-301X
• DOI: 10.1080/02699050802649662

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can induce long-term severe disorders of consciousness. Evidence suggests an underlying dopaminergic deficit. Dopamine agonists may therefore play an important role in recovery of consciousness. Objective: To explore the response to continuous subcutaneous administration of apomorphine in a patient who had remained in minimally conscious state for 104 days and to evaluate the anatomical substrate of the effect. Design: A prospective, open-label, daily treatment, dose-escalation single case clinical study, with retrospective diffusion tensor image (DTI) evaluation. Results: On the fist day of treatment, the patient was able to move his limbs on command and answer yes/no questions which had not been the case prior to apomorphine administration. Subsequently there was a full recovery of consciousness and substantial functional recovery that was sustained even after apomorphine discontinuation. At the highest dose, mild dyskinesias were observed. These resolved with a lowering of the dose. DTI demonstrated a decrease of thalamocortical and corticothalamic projections in this MCS patient compared to normal volunteers. Conclusion: Although this is an open-label single-patient case report, the data are consistent with the theory that a dopaminergic deficit underlies MCS and that it may be overcome with apomorphine administration.