Baclofen is a structural analogue of gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA), which reduces spastic hypertonia of striated muscle due to a mechanism of GABA_B-ergic inhibition of mono- and polysynaptic reflexes at the spinal level. There are reports of patients with severe disorders of consciousness that presented a substantial improvement following intrathecal baclofen (ITB) administration for severe spasticity. The neural mechanisms underlying the clinical recovery after ITB have not yet been clarified. Baclofen could modulate sleep–wake cycles that may be dysregulated and thus interfere with alertness and awareness. The diminished proprioceptive and nociceptive sensory inputs may relieve thalamo-cortical neural networks involved in maintaining the consciousness of the self and the world. ITB treatment might also promote the recovery of an impaired GABAergic cortical tone, restoring the balance between excitatory and inhibitory cortical activity. Furthermore, glutamatergic synapses are directly or indirectly modulated by GABA_B-ergic receptors. Neurophysiological techniques (such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroencephalography, or the combination of both) can be helpful to explore the effects of intrathecal or oral baclofen on the modulation of neural cortical circuits in humans with disorders of consciousness.

巴氯芬是 γ-氨基丁酸 (GABA) 的结构类似物，由于 GABA _B的机制，可降低横纹肌的痉挛性张力亢进- 脊髓水平的单突触和多突触反射的能抑制作用。有报告称患有严重意识障碍的患者在鞘内注射巴氯芬 (ITB) 后出现严重痉挛状态有显着改善。ITB 后临床恢复的神经机制尚未阐明。巴氯芬可以调节可能失调的睡眠-觉醒周期，从而干扰警觉性和意识。减少的本体感受和伤害感受输入可能会减轻参与维持自我和世界意识的丘脑 - 皮质神经网络。ITB 治疗还可能促进受损的 GABA 能皮层张力的恢复，恢复兴奋性和抑制性皮层活动之间的平衡。此外，_B-能受体。神经生理学技术（如经颅磁刺激、脑电图或两者的结合）有助于探索鞘内注射或口服巴氯芬对意识障碍患者神经皮层回路调节的影响。