Improved Arousal and Motor Function Using Zolpidem in a Patient With Space-Occupying Intracranial Lesions: A Case Report.

Patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) have profound functional limitations with few treatment options for improving arousal and quality of life. Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic used to treat insomnia that has also been observed to paradoxically improve arousal in those with DOC, such as the vegetative or minimally conscious states. Little information exists on its use in patients with DOC who have intracranial space-occupying lesions. We present a case of a 24-year-old man in a minimally conscious state due to central nervous system lymphoma who was observed to have increased arousal and improved motor function after the administration of zolpidem.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.