Session Information
Session Title: AA 2022 Posters - Neurological Rehabilitation
Session Time: None. Available on demand.
Disclosures: Katherine F. Rubin: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Background and/or Objectives: Amantadine is likely to provide arousal and neuroprotective effects in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). While the effects of amantadine on cognition were extensively studied, there are limited data on its benefit on functional outcomes. This retrospective study investigated the effects of amantadine on outcomes associated with Program Evaluation Metrics (PEM) scores in patients with TBI during inpatient rehabilitation (IPR).
Design: Retrospective case-control analysis.
Setting: Acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital.
Participants: 64 patients with TBI admitted to IPR, subdivided into amantadine (n=32) and control (n=32). Patients who received amantadine were matched in a 1:1 ratio with controls who did not receive amantadine based on age, sex, case mix index, self-care and mobility scores at admission, and expectation for self-care, mobility, and functional efficiency at discharge.
Interventions: Amantadine.
Main Outcome Measures: Length of stay, self-care, mobility, and functional efficiency scores at discharge.
Results: There were not significant between-group differences in self-care (p=0.47), mobility (p=0.69), and functional efficiency (p=0.75) at discharge or in length of stay (p=0.55). Likewise, similar numbers of patients achieved goals of self-care (p=0.79), mobility (p=0.80), and functional efficiency (p=0.45).
Conclusions: Similar to the results of a recent randomized controlled trial, no statistically significant differences were seen in observed self-care, mobility, or functional efficiency scores in TBI patients on amantadine versus controls. These preliminary results suggest that amantadine is not beneficial on functional outcomes during IPR in this population. However, these results should be interpreted with caution since the initial injury dates were unknown, there may be insufficient power to detect change, expectations of outcomes under PEM scores may be flawed, and outcomes are limited to the duration of rehabilitation admission.
Level of Evidence: Level III
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Rubin KF, Gill B, Rahman R, Finkel C. Amantadine Effects on Functional Recovery in Traumatic Brain Injury During Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Case-control Analysis [abstract]. PM R. 2022; 14(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/amantadine-effects-on-functional-recovery-in-traumatic-brain-injury-during-inpatient-rehabilitation-a-retrospective-case-control-analysis/. Accessed May 17, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2022
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/amantadine-effects-on-functional-recovery-in-traumatic-brain-injury-during-inpatient-rehabilitation-a-retrospective-case-control-analysis/