Affiliations: Servicio de Daño Cerebral de Hospitales NISA,
Instituto Valenciano de Neurorrehabilitación (IVAN), Valencia,
Spain
Note: [] Corresponding author: Enrique Noé Sebastián, MD,
PhD, Insituto Valenciano de Neurorrehabilitación (IVAN) y Servicio de
Daño Cerebral de Hospitales NISA (http://www.serviciodc.com). Hospital
Valencia al Mar, C/ Rio Tajo n°1, 46011 Valencia, Spain. Tel.: +1 34 963
352 500; Fax: +1 34 963 352 501; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objectives: to provide our initial experience with ziprasidone in
the management of behaviour problems of patients with traumatic brain injury
(TBI) during the period of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). Patients: Five
patients with a mean age of 26.8 ± 9.8 years who had suffered a severe
TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score < 8; length of coma: 16 ± 7.1 days; and
length of PTA: 62.4 ± 14.8 days) were included in the study. Agitation
was assessed by the Agitated Behaviour Scale (ABS) prior to the administration
of ziprasidone, after two weeks of initiating treatment and at the moment of
discontinuing ziprasidone. Results: ABS Total score decreased from 27.2
± 3 to 18 ± 1.2 after two weeks of treatment. The same decrease
was also noticed in each one of the subscales (dishinhibition, aggressiveness
and lability). Mean dose of the drug was 52.8 ± 27.11 mg/day (range:
20–80 mg), with the highest dose ranging between 40 and 80 mg (64
± 21.9 mg). Maximum period of administration of ziprasidone was 48.2
± 14.8 days (range: 35–68 days). No clinical or
electrocardiographic side effects were reported. Conclusion: This study shows
the efficacy of ziprasidone in controlling agitation during the PTA period.
Despite the small size of our sample, ziprasidone reduced symptoms of agitation
quickly and with good tolerability, safety and no side effects.
