A dietary supplement sold as a brain stimulant failed to help head trauma patients improve in function and thinking in a study, challenging the drugs use as a treatment option for the condition, researchers said. Patients with traumatic brain injury who were given the supplement, citicoline, scored similarly on function and cognition tests as those given a placebo, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Previous animal research and pilot clinical studies had suggested the supplement might reduce cerebral injury caused by head trauma, stroke or aging. Citicoline, available as a supplement for more than a decade, is used mostly outside the U.S. for brain injury as well as in stroke and Alzheimers disease, said Ross Zafonte, the lead study author. Todays findings call into question the supplements use for head trauma, he said. We were disappointed to find that it did not appear to make a difference in outcome at 90 and 180 days post-injury, Zafonte, a professor and chairman of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston and vice president of medical affairs at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, said in a Nov. 19 telephone interview. We are heartened … Continue reading →

November 20, 2012 By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer CHICAGO (AP) The hunt for brain injury treatments has suffered a big disappointment in a major study that found zero benefits from a supplement that the U.S. military had hoped would help wounded troops. The supplement is marketed as a memory booster online and in over-the-counter powders and drinks. It is also widely used by doctors in dozens of countries to treat traumatic brain injuries and strokes, although evidence on whether it works has been mixed. U.S. scientists had high hopes that in large doses it would help speed recovery in patients with brain injuries from car crashes, falls, sports accidents and other causes. But in the most rigorous test yet, citicoline worked no better than dummy treatments at reducing forgetfulness, attention problems, difficulty concentrating and other symptoms. "We very much were disappointed," said Dr. Ross Zafonte, the lead author and a traumatic brain injury expert at Harvard Medical School. "We took a therapy that is utilized worldwide and we found that at least its present use should be called into question." The study involved 1,213 patients aged 18 and older hospitalized at eight U.S. trauma centers. They had mild to … Continue reading →

CHICAGO (AP) The hunt for brain injury treatments has suffered a big disappointment in a major study that found zero benefits from a supplement that the U.S. military had hoped would help wounded troops. The supplement is marketed as a memory booster online and in over-the-counter powders and drinks. It is also widely used by doctors in dozens of countries to treat traumatic brain injuries and strokes, although evidence on whether it works has been mixed. U.S. scientists had high hopes that in large doses it would help speed recovery in patients with brain injuries from car crashes, falls, sports accidents and other causes. But in the most rigorous test yet, citicoline (see-tee-KOH'-leen) worked no better than dummy treatments at reducing forgetfulness, attention problems, difficulty concentrating and other symptoms. "We very much were disappointed," said Dr. Ross Zafonte, the lead author and a traumatic brain injury expert at Harvard Medical School. "We took a therapy that is utilized worldwide and we found that at least its present use should be called into question." The study involved 1,213 patients aged 18 and older hospitalized at eight U.S. trauma centers. They had mild to severe traumatic brain injuries blows to the head … Continue reading →

TUESDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The supplement citicoline does nothing to help improve brain function in patients with traumatic brain injury, a new study finds. In the United States, citicoline is widely available at health food stores as a nutraceutical -- a product that reportedly provides health and medical benefits -- and is used by patients with a range of neurologic disorders. Citicoline is also approved for treatment of traumatic brain injury, but such use had not been evaluated in a large, randomized clinical trial, noted Dr. Ross Zafonte, of Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues. Their phase 3 clinical trial included more than 1,200 patients with mild, moderate or severe brain injuries. The patients started taking either citicoline or an inactive placebo within 24 hours of their injury and continued the therapy for 90 days. Brain function tests conducted after the treatment period showed little difference between the two groups of patients. Rates of improvement ranged from about 35 percent to 86 percent in the citicoline group, similar to 36 percent to 84 percent observed in the placebo group. A second evaluation, conducted six months after the brain injury, again revealed … Continue reading →

The hunt for brain injury treatments has suffered a big disappointment in a major study that found zero benefits from a supplement that the U.S. military had hoped would help wounded troops. The supplement is marketed as a memory booster online and in over-the-counter powders and drinks. It is also widely used by doctors in dozens of countries to treat traumatic brain injuries and strokes, although evidence on whether it works has been mixed. U.S. scientists had high hopes that in large doses it would help speed recovery in patients with brain injuries from car crashes, falls, sports accidents and other causes. But in the most rigorous test yet, citicoline (see-tee-KOH'-leen) worked no better than dummy treatments at reducing forgetfulness, attention problems, difficulty concentrating and other symptoms. "We very much were disappointed," said Dr. Ross Zafonte, the lead author and a traumatic brain injury expert at Harvard Medical School. "We took a therapy that is utilized worldwide and we found that at least its present use should be called into question." The study involved 1,213 patients aged 18 and older hospitalized at eight U.S. trauma centers. They had mild to severe traumatic brain injuries blows to the head resulting in … Continue reading →