Impact of L-Arginine on Language Skills in Children with Hypoxic–ischemic Encephalopathy
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of L-Arginine on speech and language development in pediatric patients with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
Methods: The oral language skills of 24 pediatric patients with HIE using L-Arginine were classified and the impact of L-Arginine on language skills was evaluated retrospectively. While there is no standard dose of L-Arginine, the usual dosage is 2.5 g orally for children younger than 5 years of age and 5 g orally for children older than 5 years of age.
Results: The study enrolled 24 pediatric patients with a mean age of 3.9 years (range: 1.25–12 years). A pre-treatment median rating of 1 for oral language development increased to 3 post treatment, according to the results of a Wilcoxon signed-rank test used to examine the statistical significance of the difference between 2 variables. The difference was statistically significant.
Conclusion: Although the exact pathophysiology of HIE has not been fully elucidated, it is associated with diffuse cerebral damage that leads to impaired motor and language development; moreover, HIE has no cure. In this study, L-Arginine therapy had a positive and significant impact on language development in children affected by HIE. Additional, larger series are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
1. Sousa SCB, Pires AAP. Comportamento materno em situação de risco: mães de crianças com paralisia cerebral. Psicol Saúde Doencas 2003;4:111–30.
2. Bevilacqua MC, Delgado EMC, Moret ALM. Estudos de casos clínicos de crianças do Centro Educacional do Deficiencite Auditvo (CEDAU), do hospital de Pesquisa e Reabilitação de Lesões Lábio-Palatinas-USP. In: Costa OA, Bevilacqua MC, organizadores. Anais do XI Encontro Internacional de Audiologia; 1996; 30 mar. 02 abr; Bauru, Brasil. p.187.
3. Hedin SG. Eine methode das lysin zu isolieren, nebst einigen Bemerkungen uber das lysatinin. Z Physiol Chem 1895;21:297–305. [CrossRef]
4. Morris SM Jr. Arginine: beyond protein. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;83:508S–12.
5. Dhanakoti SN, Brosnan JT, Herzberg GR, Brosnan ME. Renal arginine synthesis: studies in vitro and in vivo. Am J Physiol 1990;259:E437–42. [CrossRef]
6. Gad MZ. Anti-aging effects of l-arginine. J Adv Res 2010;1:169– 77. [CrossRef]
7. Watford M. The urea cycle: a two-compartment system. Essays Biochem 1991;26:49–58.
8. Böhme GA, Bon C, Stutzmann JM, Doble A, Blanchard JC. Possible involvement of nitric oxide in long-term potentiation. Eur J Pharmacol 1991;199:379–81. [CrossRef]
9. Moncada S, Higgs A. The L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway. N Engl J Med 1993;329:2002–12. [CrossRef]
10. Chapman PF, Atkins CM, Allen MT, Haley JE, Steinmetz JE. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis impairs two different forms of learning. Neuroreport 1992;3:567–70. [CrossRef]
11. Ohtsuka Y, Nakaya J. Effect of oral administration of L-arginine on senile dementia. Am J Med 2000;108:439. [CrossRef]
12. Yi J, Horky LL, Friedlich AL, Shi Y, Rogers JT, Huang X. L-arginine and Alzheimer's disease. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2009;2:211–38.