Pharmacology of Nimodipine — A Review

Among Ca2+ antagonists (Ca2+ channel antagonists, Ca2+ entry blockers, CAs) several drugs were reported to have anti-ischemic, anticonvulsant, or other effects on the central nervous system. One Ca2+ antagonist, nimodipine, was approved in the United States for prevention of neurological deficits in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Some CAs are being used for the treatment of focal and global cerebral ischemia and other disorders of the central nervous system. This article reviews pharmacological properties of nimodipine which justify its use in some disorders of the central nervous system. It updates previous reviews on the same subject [28–30].