Amantadine groups had better early recovery scores after moderate brain injury
Compared with citicoline alone, amantadine alone or with citicoline improved reported recovery measures. The combination showed no significant advantage over amantadine alone.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In this small randomized trial, patients receiving amantadine, alone or with citicoline, had better consciousness and cognitive scores than those receiving citicoline alone. Ventilation and hospital stays were also shorter. Adding citicoline to amantadine produced no statistically significant advantage on these reported measures, but the trial does not establish that the treatments are equivalent.
The groups were small, and the abstract does not report effect sizes, confidence intervals, adverse events, or the mortality results it says were measured.
What researchers found
Glasgow Coma Scale
Amantadine alone and amantadine plus citicoline each outperformed citicoline alone on days 4, 7 and 30; the abstract reports statistical significance without numerical score differences.
Several recovery measures were assessed
Consciousness, disability and mental-state scores were assessed alongside time on mechanical ventilation and time in intensive care or hospital. These outcomes describe early recovery and care needs; the abstract does not report longer-term independence.
The combination's role remains uncertain
Amantadine and the combination did not differ significantly on the reported recovery scores or lengths of care. That absence of a significant difference does not establish equivalence, particularly with the small treatment groups described here.
The original publication
Citicoline-Amantadine Trial in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Randomized Study.
Badre DSEM, Elbeialy MAK, Fathy M
J Neurotrauma · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41027417
- Record checked
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