Conditions: Traumatic Brain Injury
Keywords: Traumatic Brain Injury Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Amantadine Vegetative State Minimally Conscious State
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Enrollment: 4
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with Amantadine relative to rTMS Alone and Amantadine Alone for persons in chronic states of seriously impaired consciousness. The hypothesis is that provision of rTMS+Amantadine will provide a safe yet synergistic effect that induces or accelerates functional recovery.

Detailed description:
The R21 research objective is to examine the safety and efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with Amantadine (TMS + Amantadine) relative to rTMS Alone and Amantadine Alone for persons in chronic states of seriously impaired consciousness. The hypothesis is that provision of rTMS+Amantadine will provide a safe yet synergistic effect that induces or accelerates functional recovery. This hypothesis is based on (a) preliminary data indicating partially improved neurobehavioral functioning mechanistically related to rTMS-induced neural activity and connectivity as well as improved integrity of white fiber tracts, (b) relationship between dopamine (DA) and common traumatic brain injury (TBI) impairments, (c) role of DA in mediating consciousness, (d) the commonality between and DA and rTMS-targeted pathways, (e) clinical efficacy and safety of Amantadine, (f) mechanisms of action of Amantadine, and (g) the association between rTMS and Amantadine with up-regulating brain derived neurotrophic factor. The rationale is that pairing rTMS with Amantadine will have a complementary and synergistic effect on factors promoting conscious behavior. The specific aims are to: (1) Demonstrate that rTMS+Amantadine is safely tolerated, (2) Determine neurobehavioral effect of rTMS+Amantadine, and (3) Characterize pre-and post-treatment neural changes in neural activation. Aim 1 is based on our preliminary safety data and safety data regarding Amantadine. To address Aims 2 \& 3 we use a repeated measures baseline control design with randomized treatment orders yielding three treatment groups; rTMS + Amantadine, rTMS Alone and Amantadine Alone. Analyses for Aims 2 and 3 involve comparing these treatment groups according to neurobehavioral growth trajectories, mean amount of neural activation and connectivity within and between brain regions, and indices of fiber tract directionality.

Arms:
arm 1: Subjects assigned to rTMS Alone will receive 30 sessions of rTMS. Two rTMS sessions will be provided per day, four days per week.After first completing rTMS Alone, subjects will receive rTMS plus Amantadine. A total of 30 rTMS sessions are provided, 2 rTMS sessions per day, four days per week, while receiving 200mg of Amantadine daily. arm 2: Subjects who are assigned to the Amantadine Alone group will receive 28 doses of Amantadine (100mg BID) every day for 28 days. After first completing Amantadine Alone subjects will receive rTMS plus Amantadine. A total of 30 rTMS sessions are provided, 2 rTMS sessions per day, four days per week, while receiving 200mg of Amantadine daily.

Interventions: intervention 1: rTMS intervention 2: Amantadine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: None intervention 2: None

Protocol document: