Amantadine Use in an Infant with Abusive Head Trauma: A Case Report - Abstract
Accidents and trauma, including abusive head trauma (AHT), are leading causes of death and disability in children. One of the most common sequelae
of AHT in children is traumatic brain injury (TBI), of varying severity. Amantadine, a dopamine agonist, is one of the most commonly prescribed medications
for prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC) after TBI and has been proven to facilitate a faster rate of recovery. The purpose of this case study was to
examine the effectiveness of amantadine on alertness and cognitive and physical function in a ten-month-old female infant with chronic AHT six months postinjury. The infant girl in this case had shown minimal recovery in the 6 months following injury until the time when she was started on amantadine. She remained
on amantadine for a total of 19 months and the medication was well tolerated. Her development was closely monitored and she demonstrated significant
improvements in her motors skills, socialization and speech during this period. This case supports the use of amantadine in infants, even in cases of chronic brain
injury and prolonged DOC, to bring meaningful change to cognitive and motor function. It is still unclear at what point amantadine can be safely discontinued
without regression of skills, but in this case, the patient took amantadine for over one year and was safely weaned off medication without signs of regression.
Further studies are needed to provide additional evidence on the efficacy of amantadine in children with TBI, including in younger ages.