The Effectiveness of Zolpidem in Improving Consciousness in Patients with Acute Brain Injury

Disorders of consciousness, including the vegetative state (VS) and the minimally conscious state (MCS) following brain damage and various complications for the patient, also have economic and social consequences. However, there is still no definitive or effective treatment for this condition. However, there is still no definitive or effective treatment for this condition. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of zolpidem in improving consciousness in patients with acute brain injury.

The present quasi-experimental study was performed from 2020 to 2021 after obtaining the necessary permissions from Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Eighty patients with acute brain injury who met the study inclusion criteria were recruited and randomized into zolpidem and placebo groups. In the zolpidem group, 10 mg zolpidem tablets were gavage twice daily. In the placebo group, a placebo tablet with the same appearance as zolpidem was gavage twice daily for 14 days. The consciousness level of patients was measured daily until the outcome (ICU discharge or expiration) was established. Eventually, a comparative data analysis was conducted to determine zolpidem's efficacy in enhancing consciousness, reducing mechanical ventilation duration, and improving patient outcomes.

The mean GCS score in the zolpidem group was 6.1±2.4 on admission and 11.6±3.8 at the end of the study, compared to 5.9±1.7 on admission and 11.3±2.8 at the end of the study, for the placebo group (p=0.154 and p=0.211, respectively). The mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 24.41±9.14 days in the zolpidem group and 23.16±10.72 days in the placebo group (P=0.529). Twenty-eight patients in the zolpidem group were discharged from ICU, and 12 expired. For the placebo group, 26 patients were discharged from ICU, while 14 were expired (p=0.87). No statistically significant difference was found in any of the measured variables between the two groups.

The results have shown that zolpidem administration had no statistically significant effect on improving the level of consciousness and reducing mechanical ventilation duration and clinical outcomes in acute brain injury patients.