The authors investigated the value of high-dose thiopental (TH) therapy after 16-min complete global brain ischemia (GBI) in three groups of pigtailed monkeys, using a neck cuff model of GBI with 96 h intensive care postischemia (PI).Control group (n18):Normotension was restored within 2 min PI; paralysis/controlled ventilation was maintained for 48 h PI with 50% N2O/O2.Thiopental loading group (n13):Control treatment plus TH-loading with 90 mg/kg iv given from 5 to 65 min PI (mean peak TH plasma level 130 μg/ml).Thiopental anesthesia group (n14):Control treatment plus TH anesthesia with 90 mg/kg iv given over 12 h PI (sustained TH plasma levels of 25–35 μg/ml and EEG burst suppression). Norepinephrine requirement for blood pressure control PI was greater in the TH groups than in the control group (P< 0.05). Lidocaine was needed for control of arrhythmias in the TH loading group. There was no significant difference in mortality or neurologic outcome between the groups. At 96 h PI seven of 11 animals were awake in the control group, compared with seven of 12 and six of 12 in the two TH groups. Neurologic deficit scores (NDS) for the survivors at 96 h PI were 23 ± 6% (mean ± SD) (n10) in the control group, compared with 25 ± 9% (n11) and 26 ± 12% (n10) in the two TH groups (NDS 100% = brain death, 0% = normal). Seizures PI (in 1–2 of each group) were associated with worse neurologic deficits. At 96 h PI, all three groups had developed the same type and distribution of histologic lesions. Thus, the authors were unable to demonstrate any brain-damage-ameliorating effect of TH loading or TH anesthesia after 16 min GBI in pigtailed monkeys.