The Use of Nicotinamide as a Treatment for Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke: A Review and Evaluation

Abstract

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and stroke are leading causes of neurological dysfunction and are major health concerns worldwide. Much research has been conducted on the processes at work in TBI and stroke; however, to date no pharmaceutical treatments have been shown to be effective in treating human clinical TBI and only one drug has been approved for human stroke treatment. Thus, many laboratories have begun to investigate organic compounds such as vitamins and other nutrients. Specifically, nicotinamide (vitamin B3) has been studied in the laboratory to assess its effectiveness as a treatment following TBI or stroke. This review evaluates the experimental evidence for the use of nicotinamide to treat brain injury. Based on the evidence from animal models, there is considerable potential for the use of nicotinamide to treat TBI and stroke. However there are still some factors that need to be further investigated before considering clinical trials.