Experimental and Clinical Studies on Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone Tartrate (TRH-T) for Treatment of Disturbances of Consciousness

Thyrotropin releasing hormone tartrate (TRH-T) has been found to activate the central nervous system and its pharmacological role has recently received much attention. We studied the effects of TRH-T on EEGs of rat's brains of with isolated perfusion undergoing temporary ischemia. Its clinical effect on persistent disturbance of consciousness was also examined in 38 cases of brain tumor, cerebrovascular disease, head injury, normal pressure hydrocephalus and infectious brain disease. The following results were obtained. 1. TRH-T was found to improve EEGs of rat's brains with isolated perfusion undergoing temporary ischemia. 2. Beneficial clinical responses to TRH-T therapy were observed in 81.6% of the patients with persistent disturbances of consciousness due to brain tumors, cerebrovascular disease, head injury, normal pressure hydrocephalus or infectious brain disease. Among the responses, 26.3% was rated as excellent, 5.3% as good, and 50.0% as fair. 3. The therapeutic efficacy was found to be higher in patients with shorter durations and shorter fixed periods of disturbed consciousness, and in patients with relatively wild disturbances of consciousness at the start of therapy. 4. No noteworthy side effects or changes in data from hematological examinations, blood chemistry tests and urinalyses were observed.