Growth hormone (GH) and brain trauma

This article is part of a Special Issue "Hormones & Neurotrauma".Growth hormone (GH) is a pleiotropic hormone with known neurotrophic effects. We aimed to study whether GH administration might be useful together with rehabilitation in the recovery of TBI patients.13 TBI patients (8 M, 5 F; age: 6–53 years old) were studied. Time after TBI: 2.5 months to 11 years; 5 patients showed acquired GH-deficiency (GHD). Disabilities observed: cognitive disorders; motor plegias; neurogenic dysphagia (n = 5), vegetative coma (n = 2) and amaurosis (n = 1). All but one TBI patient followed intense rehabilitation for years. Treatment consisted of GH administration (maximal dose 1 mg/day, 5 days/week, resting 15-days every 2-months, until a maximum of 8 months) and clinical rehabilitation according to the individual needs (3–4 h/day, 5 days/week, during 6–12 months). Informed consent was obtained before commencing GH administration.GH significantly increased plasma IGF-1 values (ng.mL− 1) in both GHD and no GHD patients, being then similar between both groups (GHD: 275.6 ± 35.6 [p < 0.01 vs. baseline], no GHD: 270.2 ± 64 [p < 0.05 vs. baseline]).In all the cases clear significant improvements were observed during and at the end of the combined treatment. Cognitive improvements appeared earlier and were more important than motor improvements. Swallowing improved significantly in all TBI patients with neurogenic dysphagia (2 of them in a vegetative state). Visual performance was ameliorated in the patient with amaurosis. No undesirable side-effects were observed.Our data indicate that GH can be combined with rehabilitation for improving disabilities in TBI patients, regardless of whether or not they are GHD.

► We studied the effects of GH administration on the recovery of 13 TBI patients.
► Most of the patients were chronic patients with years of evolution after TBI.
► Disabilities were: cognitive affectations, plegias, dysphagia and amaurosis.
► In all cases significant improvements were obtained after GH plus rehabilitation.
► GH is useful for TBI patients (with or without GHD) submitted to rehabilitation.