Table 5.22 Branched-Chain Amino Acid Treatment for Nutritional Management Post ABI
Author Year Country Research Design PEDro Sample Size |
Methods |
Outcomes |
Aquilani et al (2005) Italy RCT PEDro=5 N=40 |
Population: TBI; Mean Age=32 yr; Gender: Male=40, Female=0; Mean GCS=5.9. Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive either 19.6 g/day IV Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) supplementation (n=20) or an iso-nitrogenous placebo (n=20) over a period of 15 days. A group of healthy patients (n=20) matched for age, sex and sedentary lifestyle served as controls for the study. Outcome Measure: Disability Rating Scale (DRS), plasma concentration of BCAAs: tyrosine and tryptophan. |
1. At 15 days post admission, DRS scores significantly improved in patients with a TBI compared with the control group (p<0.02); improvement was greater in the BCAA group than in the placebo group (p<0.004). 2. Fifteen days after admission only patients given BCAA supplementation significantly improved their baseline total BCAAs, including leucine (p<0.01), isoleucine (p<0.02) and valine (p<0.001). 3. Level of plasma tyrosine significantly improved in the BCAA group (p<0.01) but remained lower than in health controls. 4. Plasma tryptophan concentration was higher in patients on placebo than treatment (p<0.01). 5. Nutritional intake and nitrogen balance tended to be higher in patients on placebo than in the BCAA group, but the difference was not significant. |