The therapeutic potential of bromocriptine in neuropsychological rehabilitation of patients with acquired brain damage

https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-5846(94)90114-7Get rights and content

Abstract

1. Activation of neuropsychological rehabilitation by pharmacological agents is a promising therapeutic strategy.

2. Reports of single cases and case series claim improvement of akinetic mutism, non-fluent aphasia, apathy, attentional and other neuropsychiatric disturbances after treatment with bromocriptine, a D2 dopamine receptor agonist.

3. A critical review of published reports and own experiences discusses the results in the light of pharmacological and neurobiological considerations.

4. Dopaminergic stimulation after certain kinds of brain damage might influence neuronal recovery and/or substitute dopaminergical linked functions after destruction of the corresponding neurons.

5. Although controlled clinical studies are very difficult to design and such evidence is still lacking, preliminary recommendations are given with regard to differential indications, drug regime and evaluation criteria.

References (103)

  • E.D. Levin et al.

    Cholinergic-dopaminergic interactions in cognitive performance

    Behav. Neural Biol.

    (1990)
  • M.R. Lynch

    Schizophrenia and the D1 receptor: focus on negative symptoms

    Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry

    (1992)
  • R.S. Marin et al.

    Reliability and validity of the apathy evaluation scale

    Psychiatry Res.

    (1991)
  • R.S. Marin et al.

    The sources of convergence between measures of apathy and depression

    J. Affect. Disord.

    (1993)
  • R. Muscat et al.

    Antidepressant-like effects of dopamine agonists in an animal model of depression

    Biol. Psychiatry

    (1992)
  • M.L. Albert et al.

    Pharmacotherapy for aphasia

    Neurology

    (1988)
  • M.L. Albert et al.

    Pharmacotherapy of nonfluent aphasia

    Neurology

    (1992)
  • B. Anderson

    Relief of akinetic mutism from obstructive hydrocephalus using bromocriptine and ephedrine: case report

    J. Neurosurg

    (1992)
  • V. Auerbach et al.

    Ethicolegal issues in pharmacotherapy for neurorehabilitation

    NeuroRehabilitation

    (1991)
  • D.L. Bachman et al.

    The role of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of aphasia: preliminary results

    Aphasiology

    (1988)
  • P. Bach-Y-Rita et al.

    Biological and psychosocial factors in recovery from brain damage in humans

    Can. J. Psychol.

    (1990)
  • K. Barrett

    Treating organic abulia with bromocriptine and lisuride: four case studies

    J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry

    (1991)
  • M.H. Bhatt et al.

    Pleuropulmonary disease associated with dopamine agonist therapy

    Ann. Neurol.

    (1991)
  • D.B. Boivin et al.

    Effects of bromocriptine in human narcolepsy

    Clin. Neuropharmacol.

    (1993)
  • A. Braun et al.

    Selective D-1 dopamine receptor agonist treatment of Parkinson's disease

    J. Neural Transm.

    (1987)
  • D.B. Calne et al.

    Bromocriptine in parkinsonism

    Br. Med. J.

    (1974)
  • D.I. Campagnolo et al.

    Successfull treatment of akinetic mutism with a post synaptic dopamine agonist

    Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil.

    (1992)
  • J.W. Cassidy

    Pharmacological treatment of posttraumatic behavioral disorders: aggression and disorders of mood

  • C.E. Catsman-Berrevoets et al.

    Compulsive pre-sleep behavior and apathy due to bilateral thalamic stroke: response to bromocriptine

    Neurology

    (1988)
  • R.C. Cloninger

    Brain networks underlying personality development

  • J.A. Cooper et al.

    Different effects of dopaminergic and anticholinergic therapies on cognitive and motor function in Parkinson's disease

    Brain

    (1992)
  • D.von Cramon

    Traumatic mutism and the subsequent reorganisation of speech functions

    Neuropsychologia

    (1981)
  • D.von Cramon et al.

    Neuropsychologische Rehabilitation

  • CRAMON, D.Y. von and MÜLER, U. (in press) Neurobiologische Aspekte der Rehabilitation von Erwachsenen mit erworbenen...
  • M.L. Crismon et al.

    The effect of bromocriptine on speech dysfunction in patients with diffuse brain injury (akinetic mutism)

    Clin. Neuropharmacol.

    (1988)
  • E.A. Crisostomo et al.

    Evidence that amphetamine with physical therapy promotes recovery of motor function in stroke patients

    Ann. Neurol.

    (1988)
  • O. Devinsky et al.

    Akinetic mutism in an bone marrow transplant recipient following total-body irridation and amphotericin B chemoprophylaxis: a positron emission tomographic and neuropathologic study

    Arch. Neurol.

    (1987)
  • J. Drewe et al.

    Differential effect of food on kinetics of bromocriptine in a modified release capsule and a conventional formulation

    Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol.

    (1988)
  • P. Eames

    The use of Sinemet and bromocriptine

    Brain Inj.

    (1989)
  • M. Emre et al.

    Effects of a selective D1 agonist, CY 208-243, in de novo patients with Parkinson disease

    Mov. Disord.

    (1992)
  • S. Fahn et al.

    The role of bromocriptine in the treatment of parkinsonism

    Neurology

    (1979)
  • L. Farde et al.

    Quantitative analysis of D2 dopamine receptor binding in the living human brain by PET

    Science

    (1986)
  • D.M. Feeney et al.

    Amphetamine, haioperidol, and experience interact to affect the rate of recovery after motor cortex injury

    Science

    (1982)
  • D.M. Feeney et al.

    Pharmacotherapy for recovery of function after brain injury

    CRC Crit. Rev. Neurobiol.

    (1987)
  • C.M. Fisher

    Abulia minor vs. agitated behavior

    Clin. Neurosurg.

    (1983)
  • W.S. Fleet et al.

    Dopamine agonist therapy for neglect in humans

    Neurology

    (1987)
  • E. Flückiger et al.

    2-Br-α-ergokryptin: Beeinflussung von Fertilität und Laktation bei der Ratte

    Experientia

    (1968)
  • K. Fuxe et al.

    Studies on central D1 receptors role in volume transmission, neuroendocrine regulation and release of noradrenaline

  • G. Gianutsos et al.

    Differential behavioral and biochemical effects of four dopaminergic agonists

    Psychopharmacology

    (1980)
  • B. Giros et al.

    Molecular characterization of the dopamine transporter

    Trends Pharmacol. Sci.

    (1993)
  • Cited by (48)

    • Apathy following traumatic brain injury: A review

      2018, Neuropsychologia
      Citation Excerpt :

      The role of mesolimbic dopamine for translating motivation into action has long been recognised (Mogenson et al., 1980) and more recently DA depletion has been considered a paradigm for understanding a wide range of deficits in TBI (Bales et al., 2009; Yan et al., 2015). Clinically, dopamine-based medication has been used for some time for treating a wide range of arousal, motivational and executive disorders in TBI despite lack of good evidence for so doing (Barrett, 1991; Muller and Von Cramon, 1994; Whyte et al., 2002). Anecdotal reports of benefit suggest this trend will continue but better quality trials are needed.

    • Apathy Following Traumatic Brain Injury

      2014, Psychiatric Clinics of North America
      Citation Excerpt :

      All of them included either single patients or small samples, and proper randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) that are adequately powered are still lacking. Muller and von Cramon49 used bromocriptine in 15 patients with TBI with behavioral problems, including apathy, but results were heterogeneous. Gualtieri and Evans50 treated 15 patients with methylphenidate in the context of a small controlled trial and noted significant short-term improvements in apathy.

    • Chapter 12 The dysexecutive syndromes

      2008, Handbook of Clinical Neurology
      Citation Excerpt :

      Dopaminergic agents (e.g., pramipexole, bromocriptine, selegiline, L-dopa) are most often prescribed for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, these medications also have been used to help improve motivation, diminish apathy, and to augment working memory and other executive functions (Luciana et al., 1992; Muller and von Cramon, 1994; Marin et al., 1995; Luciana and Collins, 1997; McDowell et al., 1998; Muller et al., 1998). Interestingly, in neurologically healthy individuals, activation of D1 dopamine receptors may be more important than activation of D2 receptors and dopamine agonists may be more effective in improving working memory performance in those individuals who have a low working memory capacity than those with high working memory capacity (Kimberg et al., 1997; Muller et al., 1998).

    • Chapter 14 Aphasia

      2008, Handbook of Clinical Neurology
      Citation Excerpt :

      Benefit was not lost when treatment was stopped. Numerous case reports of benefit with bromocriptine (Albert et al., 1988; MacLennan et al., 1991; Muller and von Cramon, 1994; Sabe et al., 1992) have not been confirmed in small controlled studies (Sabe et al., 1995). The nootropic agent piracetam had a modest benefit in chronic aphasia (Huber, 1999), but the effects were lost when the medication was stopped (Kessler et al., 2000).

    • Recovery of Language after Stroke or Trauma in Adults

      2006, Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics
    • Phenomenology, neurobiology and pharmacotherapy of psychiatric syndromes following traumatic brain injury

      2016, Traumatic Brain Injury: Diagnosis, Management and Long-Term Outcomes
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text