Clazosentan for traumatic brain injury shows promise in animals

A new drug is showing promise in shielding against the harmful effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats, according to a study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012.

"There are currently no primary treatments for TBI, so this research provides hope that effective treatments can be developed," said study author Michael Kaufman, a second year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, USA, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. The principal investigator on the study is Christian Kreipke, also with Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Researchers gave brain-injured rats the drug clazosentan through an intravenous (IV) line at several different points in time after the injury. Next, they measured the rat's blood flow in the hippocampus and sensory motor cortex with an MRI brain scan and tested their behavior in learning a maze.