Abstract: Aim This study was designed to evaluate the effect of nimodipine on acute ischemic cerebral in-farction and its safety. Methods With single - blind, paralle controll and random methods 120 patients with acute ischemic cerebral infarction were equally divided into 2 groups. Patients in ni-modipine group (n = 60)received nimodipine 3 mg/d by intravenous infusion as well as mannitol, for 21 days. Patients in control group (n = 60) received only mannitol for 21 days. Results The rates of effect in nimodipine and control groups were 95.0 % and 71.7 %,respectively. There was a significant difference (P< 0.01) between the two groups. The improvement of nervous functional defect was obvious and rapid in the nimodipine group compared with that in the control group (P <0.01). Platelet aggregation rate after treatment decreased by 15.7 % compared with that before treatment in nimodipine group (P< 0.01); Cerebral blood flow velocity of arteriae cerebri media (MCA) and arteriae cenebri anterior (ACA) increased by 15.4 % and 11.4 % respectively compared with those before treatment (P< 0.05). Platelet aggregation rate and cerebral blood flow velocity in control group were not affected (P< 0.05). The commonest adverse effects in the two groups were headache and diziness. No patient withdrew from the treatment due to the adverse reactions. Conclusion Nimodipine, administered by intravenous infusion, has shown to be a relatively safe and rapidly effective drug for trea tment of patients with acute ischemic cerebral infarction.

Key words: Nimodipin, Cerebral ischemia, Cerebral infraction