• Roberto Aquilani, Mirella Boselli, Federica Boschi, Simona Viglio, Paolo Iadarola, Maurizia Dossena, Ornella Pastoris, and Manuela Verri.
• Servizio di Fisiopatologia Metabolico-Nutrizionale e Nutrizione Clinica, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Istituto Scientifico di Montescano, Montescano, Pavia, Italy.
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Sep 1; 89 (9): 1642-7.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) may improve recovery of patients with a posttraumatic vegetative or minimally conscious state.DesignPatients were randomly assigned to 15 days of intravenous BCAA supplementation (n=22; 19.6g/d) or an isonitrogenous placebo (n=19).SettingTertiary care rehabilitation setting.ParticipantsPatients (N=41; 29 men, 12 women; mean age, 49.5+/-21 y) with a posttraumatic vegetative or minimally conscious state, 47+/-24 days after the index traumatic event.InterventionSupplementation with BCAAs.Main Outcome MeasureDisability Rating Scale (DRS) as log(10)DRS.ResultsFifteen days after admission to the rehabilitation department, the log(10)DRS score improved significantly only in patients who had received BCAAs (log(10)DRS score, 1.365+/-0.08 to 1.294+/-0.05; P<.001), while the log(10)DRS score in the placebo recipients remained virtually unchanged (log(10)DRS score, 1.373+/-0.03 to 1.37+/-0.03; P not significant). The difference in improvement of log(10)DRS score between the 2 groups was highly significant (P<.000). Moreover, 68.2% (n=15) of treated patients achieved a log(10)DRS point score of .477 or higher (3 as geometric mean) that allowed them to exit the vegetative or minimally conscious state.ConclusionsSupplemented BCAAs may improve the recovery from a vegetative or minimally conscious state in patients with posttraumatic vegetative or minimally conscious state.

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