Vasopressin treats the persistent feeling of coldness after brain injury

In this pilot study, 6 patients who complained of persisting coldness after brain injury were treated with intranasal vasopressin (DDAVP) twice daily for 1 month. Response was assessed after 1 month of treatment, DDAVP was di scontinued, and response was reassessed 1 month later. Five of the 6 patien ts had a dramatic response to DDAVP, as soon as 1 week after the treatment, and no longer complained of feeling cold. Response persisted even after di scontinuation of treatment. Patients denied any side effects from treatment with DDAVP. The experience of persisting coldness can respond dramatically to brief treatment with intranasal DDAVP. The authors discuss possible mec hanisms of action to explain this phenomenon.