Effect of calcitonin-gene-related peptide on postoperative neurological deficits after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

An infusion of calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) at progressively increased concentrations was given to 15 patients with neurological deficits after intracranial aneurysm surgery for subarachnoid haemorrhage. In 9 of the patients the deficits, quantified by a modified Glasgow coma scale, improved with no adverse effects; after a placebo infusion only 2 of the 15 patients showed improvement. If CGRP can reverse cerebral ischaemia after early intracranial aneurysm surgery, its use may improve the safety of such early surgery, remove the need for late surgery with its increased risk of death from rebleeding, and reduce overall morbidity and mortality of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.