European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Long-term consciousness impairment and mental and physical disabilities are seen in almost all patients after brain traumas of varying severities. Given the neuroprotective and stimulating properties of caffeine, the present study intended to investigate the effect of caffeine on the consciousness level and recovery rate of children and adolescent patients with moderate brain traumas (8<GCS<13). A total of 100 children and adolescent (6-17years old) patients with moderate brain trauma due to diffuse axonal injury were randomly assigned to two groups of 50. One week after trauma, in the caffeine group patients who were physiologically stable received caffeine tablets as 2.5 mg/kg/day and placebo in the second group through gavages for one month. The consciousness level and the recovery rate were assessed with GCS after one month and GOSE after six months, respectively. The two groups were similar in terms of demographic characteristics and GCS score at baseline (9.2 vs. 9.6) (p=0.581), but the mean GCS score was significantly better in the caffeine group (11.2) than the control group (9.84) after one month (p=0.024). Besides, the mean GOSE score was significantly better in the caffeine group (6.24) than the control group (4.74) after six months (p=0.036). It seems that the administration of caffeine after the acute phase of moderate brain trauma in children and adolescent patients can improve the consciousness and performance of these patients.