Neuroprotective Effects of Vitamin D on Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Clinical Trial

Background and Aim: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a globally-critical socioeconomic and public health problem. Introducing medications and strategies to treat and improve the prognosis of TBI is crucial. Current literature not only supports the key role of vitamin D on normal brain function, but also helps recovering from a myriad of pathologies. The present research was conducted to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of vitamin D on patients with TBI presenting to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Iran. Methods and Materials/Patients: This randomized clinical trial assigned patients with vitamin D levels of over30 ng/ml to an intervention group (n=42) and a control group (n=42), who respectively received a single dose (150,000 units) of vitamin D and a placebo upon admission. The Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and mortality were recorded at the beginning of the study and three months after the final prescription. Results: The mean GCS score upon admission was obtained as 8.64±2.29 in the vitamin D group and 8.42±2.93 in the placebo group. This score was respectively obtained as 13.50±1.85 and 10.97±2.37 upon discharge, suggesting a significant difference as per the t-test (P=0.04).The mean Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) upon discharge was obtained as 4.24±1.51 in the intervention group and 4.10±1.40in the controls. The t-test suggested insignificant differences in the GOS between the two groups upon admission (P=0.823). After three months, the GOS respectively reaching desirable levels in 49.7% and 62.8% of cases in the placebo and intervention groups revealed statistically significant differences among the two groups (P=0.03). Conclusion: The present results showed the improving effects of vitamin D on level of consciousness and outcomes in patients with acute TBI. More studies are suggested to be performed to investigate the effects of other medications, including amantadine and methylphenidate with a larger sample size.