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Do you ever use amantadine or modafinil to aid in the rehabilitation of patients with ischemic strokes?

In patients who have decreased arousal after ischemic stroke, do you use amantadine or modafinil to aid with wakefulness and interaction with therapy to aid in recovery? Are there any contraindications to watch for?
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What do you use to treat disorders of consciousness after ischemic stroke?

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3 Answers
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Psychiatry · Massachusetts General Hospital
Answered on

No randomized controlled trials of amantadine or modafinil for the treatment of disorders of consciousness (DoC) after ischemic strokes have been completed. A retrospective study of ICU patients with DoC after ischemic stroke found that amantadine, modafinil, or a combination may be useful in improv...

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Psychiatry · Private Practice
Answered on

None of the other respondents mentioned the classic stimulants: amphetamine and methylphenidate. One advantage is that they act quickly. If there is no improvement in executive function or alertness, they can be stopped in a day or two and something else tried. I am not a fan of modafinil, it seems ...

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Mednet Member
Psychiatry · Baylor College of Medicine
Answered on

Comment: Long-term effects of TBIs vary from minor to severe. As they affect the brain, psychiatrists are not uncommonly called in for consultation early by the neurology or PM&R team, and/or later by the patient and/or family, or PCP.

Some common symptoms of long-term effects of a TBI may consist ...

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