Essentials of nimodipine in neurocritical care patients

Abstract

Nimodipine is a drug belonging to the group of calcium channel blockers, very well tolerated, widely recognized for its central action as a vasodilator preventing vasospasm secondary to aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. It is currently approved as a drug used in the treatment of this type of haemorrhage, mainly because it is effective in reducing neurological deficits due to delayed cerebral ischemia. In addition, due to its relaxing action on the cerebral vascular musculature and its facility to cross the blood-brain barrier, it has multiple functions in other types of cerebral vascular lesions such as ischemic stroke and other neurological conditions involving stress or cell death. Its role as a prophylactic agent in the treatment of migraine and its effect as a neuroprotective agent have also been evaluated.