Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant cause of death and disability in industrialized countries. Of particular importance to patients is the chronic effect that TBI has on cognitive function. Therapeutic strategies have been difficult to evaluate because of the complexity of injuries and variety of patient presentations within a TBI population. However, pharmacotherapies targeting dopamine (DA) have consistently shown benefits in attention, behavioral outcome, executive function, and memory. Ongoing research in animal models has begun to elucidate the pathophysiology of DA alterations after TBI. The purpose of this review is to discuss the potential role of dopamine in persistent brain injury disabilities and the role that dopaminergic therapies have in improving recovery of function for TBI.
© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.