Rivastigmine Patch in Veterans With Cognitive Impairment Following TBI
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2017-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Difficulties with intellectual functioning, particularly memory functions, are common and
source of long-term disability after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). However, there is very
little information about pharmacologic (i.e., medication) treatments targeting these
deficits. There are growing data showing brain abnormalities in acetylcholine, the chemical
system that manages memory, in TBI. These findings provide the rationale for the use of
cholinesterase inhibitors, medications that modulate this system, in TBI patients. As the
prevalence of TBI among Veterans of recent military conflicts increases, becoming a
"signature injury" of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, it is of utmost importance to the
Veterans Health Administration to collect scientific data on the efficacy of pharmacological
treatments for intellectual difficulties in TBI patients. This study will evaluate the
effects of the cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine transdermal patch in Veterans with TBI
and posttraumatic memory problems. Results will provide much needed data that will help treat
Veterans with TBI.