Role of Citicoline in Treatment of Neonates With Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

A number of treatment modalities are available but are not clinically effective due to inefficacy and undesirable side effects. Despite therapeutic hypothermia being the sole effective neuroprotector to date, its applicability is limited in certain scenarios, such as gestational age below 36 weeks, birth weight under 2000 g, and initiation beyond 6 hours of age. Therefore, there is a critical need to explore alternative, safe, effective, and accessible neuroprotective therapies, particularly in developing nations.

Citicoline, cytidine 5-diphosphocholine, is an exogenous substance and a product of rate limiting step of phosphatidyl choline synthesis. It has rapid absorption through enteral route where it breaks into cytidine and choline. Citicoline is a favorable recently developed neuroprotector in HIE as it helps to regenerate neuronal cells by inhibiting different steps of ischemic cascade like inhibiting glutamate built up and ROS synthesis increasing dopamine and acetylcholine neurotransmitters, regenerating injured cell membrane and increasing brain plasticity and repair.

In this study, effects of citicoline as a neuroprotector are evaluated in neonates with moderate and severe HIE.