ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurotrauma
This article is part of the Research TopicIntegrative Approaches to Acute Brain Injury: Vascular, Electrical, and Metabolic InteractionsView all 13 articles
Combined Neuroprotec0on with Ci0colin and Cerebrolysin Combined Ci*coline and Cerebrolysin for Neuroprotec*on in Trauma*c Brain Injury: A Retrospec*ve Cohort Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Landesklinikum Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
- 2Danube Private University, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- 3Karl Landsteiner Gesellschaft, St Pölten, Austria
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Abstract IntroducNon: Severe traumaNc brain injury (sTBI) remains a major cause of long-term disability and mortality worldwide. Beyond the iniNal mechanical damage, a cascade of secondary injuries involving neuroinflammaNon, oxidaNve stress, and excitotoxicity exacerbates neural dysfuncNon. NeuroprotecNve agents such as ciNcoline and Cerebrolysin have shown promise in addressing these complex mechanisms and supporNng recovery. This study aimed to evaluate whether a combinaNon therapy of ciNcoline and Cerebrolysin improves neurological outcomes compared to ciNcoline monotherapy in paNents suffering from sTBI. Methods: A retrospecNve cohort analysis was conducted at a single university hospital. PaNents with sTBI treated between 2012 and 2021 were included. Two cohorts were matched based on a validated prognosNc scoring system to ensure comparability. One group received ciNcoline monotherapy, while the other received a combinaNon of ciNcoline and Cerebrolysin. The primary endpoint was neurological funcNon six months ader injury. Secondary outcomes included survival and duraNon of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital. Results: Eighty paNents were analyzed. While there was no staNsNcally significant difference between the two groups in neurological funcNon or mortality at six months, paNents receiving the combinaNon therapy showed a tendency toward beger neurological outcomes. Notably, this group also exhibited more severe baseline injury profiles, which may have influenced the results. Conclusion: Combined treatment with ciNcoline and Cerebrolysin may offer addiNonal benefits for neurological recovery in paNents with severe traumaNc brain injury. Although staNsNcal significance was not reached, the observed trend supports the need for further prospecNve, controlled studies to explore potenNal therapeuNc advantages. Combined Neuroprotec0on with Ci0colin and Cerebrolysin
Keywords: TraumaNc Brain Injury, NeuroprotecNon, Cerebrolysin, Glasgow Outcome Scale- Extended, citicoline
Received: 13 Aug 2025; Accepted: 05 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Schlager, Trimmel, Grgac and Herzer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Helmut Trimmel, helmut.trimmel@wienerneustadt.lknoe.at
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